This week, I’ve had the pleasure of showing a few visitors the Greenhoods and Helmet orchids in flower, as well as some of the other interesting plants on our property.  After a few discussions about timing, seasons and conditions, I decided to go back through last year’s photographs for comparison.    In mid-August last year I photographed what I think might be a Sharp Greenhood.  It was growing in a large patch of Nodding Greenhoods (Pterostylis nutans).  For some reason I didn’t identify it at the time, so now it is added to the A-Z Species List.

If I am correct in my identification, it means we must have had at least one  Sickle Greenhood (Pterostylis falcata) last year, as the Sharp Greenhood is a hybrid.  The parent plants are the Nodding Greenhood and the Sickle Greenhood.  According to Enid Mayfield’s “Flora of the Otway Plains and Ranges” and David Jones ‘Native Orchids of Australia’ the Sharp Greenhood is rarely found as the parent plants don’t tend to grow in the same locations.

At least, with the photograph being taken last August, I have a few weeks to scout around and see if I can find a Sickle Orchid this year. If I do, you’ll be the first to know as I really enjoy adding new orchids to my list!