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Green-veined shell orchid

Pterostylis scabra

Green-veined shell orchid
Photo: Jean and Fred from Perth, Australia, CC BY 2.0

Green-veined shell orchid is a small terrestrial orchid from south-west Western Australia, grown mainly by native plant enthusiasts and orchid collectors. It grows from an underground tuber, dies back after flowering, and is best left undisturbed in its native habitat.

Family
Orchidaceae (Orchid family)
Grows as
Orchid
Light
Part shade
Water
Water sparingly during active growth in winter and spring, and keep almost dry while dormant in summer.
Soil
Free-draining sandy or gritty mix suited to Australian terrestrial orchids.
Temperature
Mild temperate conditions; tolerates cool winters and dry, warm summers, protect from hard frost.
How easy
Hard
Native range
SW. Australia
Climate
subtropical

About

Pterostylis scabra, commonly known as green-veined shell orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. As with similar orchids, the flowering plants differ from those which are not flowering. The non-flowering plants have a rosette of leaves but the flowering plants lack a rosette and have a single flower with leaves on the flowering spike. This greenhood has a white flower with green and pale brownish-fawn stripes and a long, curved protruding labellum. It is found in inland areas between Kalbarri and Esperance.

Where it grows

Green-veined shell orchid is found in inland areas between Kalbarri and Esperance in the Avon Wheatbelt, Esperance Plains, Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest and Mallee biogeographic regions.

Other Pterostylis plants

Tablelands greenhood · Needle-point rustyhood · Pterostylis actites · Sharp greenhood · Long-tongued summer greenhood · Kauri Greenhood · Sutton Grange Greenhood · Striped greenhood · Shy greenhood · Winter Greenhood · Alpine greenhood · Coastal greenhood

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Pterostylis scabra by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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