Banded Greenhood

Pterostylis vittata, is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber. Non-flowering plants have a rosette of between three and seven leaves, each leaf 10–30 mm (0.4–1 in) long and 5–18 mm (0.2–0.7 in) wide, the rosette on a stalk 20–60 mm (0.8–2 in) long. When flowering, there are up to twenty five transparent green flowers with darker green bands borne on a flowering spike 200–450 mm (8–20 in) high. The flowering spike has between three and fourteen stem leaves which are 20–50 mm (0.8–2 in) long and 4–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) wide. The flowers are 12–15 mm (0.5–0.6 in) long, 8–10 mm (0.3–0.4 in) wide. The dorsal sepal and petals form a hood or "galea" over the column. The lateral sepals turn downwards, are 9–10 mm (0.35–0.39 in) long, 8–9 mm (0.3–0.4 in) wide and joined at their bases. The labellum is green, hairy and insect-like, about 4 mm (0.2 in) long and 3 mm (0.1 in) wide and flicks upwards when touched. Flowering occurs from May to September.

Banded greenhood occurs to the south of Perth and as far east as Balladonia, growing in forest, woodland and heath, although more often on granite outcrops in the east of its range. It was previously thought to occur in South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania, but those collections are now thought to be of P. sanguinea.