About Pterostylis foliata Hook.f.
Pterostylis foliata Hook.f. is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous herb that grows from an underground tuber. When flowering, this species produces a rosette of three to six dark green, crinkled leaves that are crowded around the base of the flowering stem. Each leaf measures 30–80 mm long and 10–16 mm wide. A single flower, 17–20 mm long and 7–9 mm wide, is borne on a flowering spike that reaches 120–300 mm in height. The flowers are dark green and brown. The dorsal sepal and petals are fused together to form a hood, called a "galea", that covers the column. The dorsal sepal is longer than the petals and ends in a sharp point. The lateral sepals are held erect, sit in contact with the galea, and have a deep V-shaped sinus between them. The labellum is 12–15 mm long, 2–3 mm wide, brown, blunt-tipped, and protrudes above the sinus. Flowering occurs between August and January. This orchid, commonly called the slender greenhood, typically grows in moist, grassy forest in shady locations. It is widespread but uncommon, found from south of near Batlow in New South Wales, through Victoria and south-eastern South Australia, to Tasmania, and on both main islands of New Zealand.
