Common name: Rainforest Greenhood
Pterostylis hildae Nicholls APNI* 
Description: Terrestrial herb.
Rosette leaves 2–4, elliptic, 2–8 cm long, 8–25 mm wide, margins entire; petiolate.
Scape to 15 cm high. Flower 2–2.5 cm long, white and green with brown suffusions in the galea. Apex of galea horizontal to obliquely decurved. Lateral sepals loosely embracing the galea leaving a lateral gap; sinus deeply V-shaped when viewed from the front; shallowly mounded when viewed from the side; free points linear-tapered to triangular, c. 10 mm long, recurved, not exceeding the galea. Petals narrow, subacute. Labellum elliptic to obovate, 9–12 mm long, c. 3.5 mm wide, brown, obtuse, tip protruding from the sinus in the set position.
Flowering: July–September
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in wet sclerophyll forest and rainforest of coastal and near-coastal districts; north from Wollongong.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SC, NT, CT
Other Australian states: Qld
Pterostylis hildae is similar to P. curta, but can be distinguished by its straight labellum, which does not twist to the side as it does in P. curta. This is best viewed from the front, as in the excellent photo by Lachlan Copeland, above. Compare with the images on the P. curta page.
Text by D. L. Jones
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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