Rufous Greenhoods | Orchids of South-west Australia

There are numerous orchids in this group of which many remain undescribed. With the exception of the Tuart Rufous Greenhood, they are mostly found from the western edge of the wheatbelt to the edge of the inland desert. Most species start flowering at the end of spring when the soil is drying out and the leaves are often withered when the first flowers open.

Pterostylis picta - Painted Rufous Greenhood

The Painted Rufous Greenhood is found mainly in the western Wheatbelt and is distinguished by its thin flowers with lateral sepals that hang down, rather than curling up.

Pterostylis picta - Painted Rufous Greenhood

Pterostylis leptochila - Ravensthorpe Rufous Greenhood

This orchid is very similar to the Painted Rufous Greenhood, distinguished mainly by the narrower labellum with slightly more cupped sepals. It has a much more restricted range, being found in an area bounded by Ongerup, Lake King and Munglinup.

Pterostylis leptochila - Ravensthorpe Rufous Greenhood

Pterostylis spathulata - Spoon-lipped Rufous Greenhood

The Spoon-lipped Rufous Greenhood is identified by the spoon shaped labellum, the long points of the sepals and the downward facing flowers. It is found mainly in the northern and central Wheatbelt.

Pterostylis spathulata - Spoon-lipped Rufous Greenhood

Pterostylis exserta - Exserted Rufous Greenhood

The Exserted Rufous Greenhood is found mainly in the Eneabba area and is identified by its large flowers and the labellum, which sits above the sepals.

Pterostylis sp. 'Arrowsmith' - Exserted Rufous Greenhood

Pterostylis ciliata - Hairy Rufous Greenhood

The Hairy Rufous Greenhood is distinguished by the dense hair on the labellum. It differs from the similar Painted Rufous Greenhood (Pterostylis picta) by the aforementioned hairs and the more rounded labellum. The Hairy Rufous Greenhood is found in leaf litter in open Wandoo forests, often in the same areas as the Wandoo Beard Orchid (Calochilus stramenicola) and the Wandoo Sun Orchid (Thelymitra latiloba).

Pterostylis ciliata - Hairy Rufous Greenhood

Pterostylis frenchii - Tuart Rufous Greenhood

Unlike most Rufous Greenhoods, this one is found in sandy coastal country between Mandurah and Busselton. It looks similar to Pterostylis picta, but has smaller flowers and shorter stems.

Pterostylis frenchii - Tuart Rufous Greenhood

Pterostylis perculta - Ruddy Hood

This tiny orchid is distinguished by the brownish-red coloured flowers and the almost hairless labellum. It is found on rock breakaways from Cranbrook to east of Esperance. The small plants and dull colouring make it difficult to spot among the rocky soil and leaf litter in which it grows.

Pterostylis perculta - Ruddy Hood