Pterostylis foliata

Features

Terrestrial, tuberous, glabrous, spring to summer-green perennial herb, either solitary or forming small colonies of 3-6 plants through vegetative extension. Plant at flowering 150-400 mm tall. Stem stiffly erect, smooth or sparsely and unevenly puberulent, dark green to yellow green; usually elongating following fruit set; upper internodes usually longer than stem leaves. Basal leaves 2-4, yellow-green to dark green, sessile, arranged in a more or less loose to crowded rosette; lamina up to 80 x 25 mm, elliptic, margins smooth, crisped or undulose, apex subacute, gradually narrowed into a short, winged petiole. Cauline leaves 1-2, yellow-green to green, 20-30 mm long, more or less foliaceous, closely sheathing, uppermost sometimes reaching but scarcely overtopping flower. Flower solitary, erect, white with broad green to greenish-brown stripes, often brown toward the apex. Ovary erect, papillose. Dorsal sepal 20-30 x 20 mm long, erect for two thirds of length then curving forwards, apex acute and more or less horizontal, extending no further than petals; lateral sepals closely embracing galea, papillose on the fused portion, sinus narrow, not protruding, diverging at a narrow angle, tips caudate up to 18 mm long and overtopping galea. Petals only a littler shorter than dorsal sepal, broad almost to apex. Labellum dark green above and paler beneath, protruding, narrow-triangular, arched, tapering to a narrowly obtuse apex, margins slightly upturned. Column shorter than labellum; stigma elliptic, more or less prominent.