Quote:
Originally Posted by katrina
Definitely interesting...I think I might have to try one sometime. Thanks for the info.
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Orchids in the genus Pterostylis are not easy to come across in the US. There are reasons for this...
Pterostylis is only one genus within a complex of plants amongst a few other genera of plants that are closely related to each other, and are commonly called "Greenhoods", (they superficially look like green cobras that have hooded up).
Pterostylis are native to Australia. These grow terrestrially, (when I use the word "terrestrially", I'm using it in the broadest sense of the word, it doesn't necessarily mean you can grow this in potting soil and expect it to work like a charm).
These plants produce an underground tuberoid, that superficially looks like a tiny spherical potato. This tuberoid is quite sensitive to damage and only has one "eye", (at the top).
They also have very few roots, (just like many terrestrial orchids in the subfamily Orchidoideae do). Like many other terrestrial orchids, there is a degree of symbiosis between the plant and a special fungus it grows with. Although, some Pterostylis are less dependent on symbiotic fungi to survive, there are others that can be fairly dependent on their symbiotic partners for survival.
Pterostylis x furcillata
Linear Mode
