Australian Native Plants

  Pterostylis pyramidalis (Snail Orchid)


Pterostylis pyramidalis photo
Pterostylis pyramidalis - Snail Orchid

Photograph by Gnangarra...commons.wikimedia.org. Some rights reserved.    (view image details)




SNAIL ORCHID FACTS

distribution map showing range of Pterostylis pyramidalis in Australia

Map is from The Atlas of Living Australia web site, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia License


Common Name
Snail Orchid

Other Names
Tall Snail Orchid

Description
The Snail Orchid is a green flowered ground orchid from Western Australia. The flower is green with the dorsal sepal and lateral petals fused together into a blunt green hood. The lateral sepals are held erect on either side of the hood lake snail antennae. Flowers grow on the end of a stem that grows to about 35cm in length, with flowering in spring from August to October.

Habitat
found in damp soil in forest and swamp margins

Distribution
Pterostylis pyramidalis is found in south west Western Australia

Growth Characteristics
Height: 35cm
Classification
Class:Liliopsida
Order:Asparagales
Family:Orchidaceae
Genus:Pterostylis
Species:pyramidalis
Common Name:Snail Orchid


Relatives in same Genus
  Pterostylis alpina
  Pterostylis baptistii
  Pterostylis barbata
  Pterostylis coccina
  Pterostylis curta
  Pterostylis melagramma
  Pterostylis nutans
  Pterostylis recurva
  Pterostylis sanguinea
  Pterostylis sargentii
  Pterostylis stenochila
  Pterostylis vittata