Pterostylis valida, commonly known as the Robust Greenhood, is a terrestrial orchid species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 that is endemic to Victoria

Victoria (Australia)

Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

, south-eastern Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. It was considered to be extinct until it was rediscovered in 2009 at the Nardoo Hills Reserves

Nardoo Hills Reserves

The Nardoo Hills Reserves comprise two adjoining parcels of land, with a combined area of 5.9 km2, as a nature reserve in north-central Victoria, Australia. They are located 12 km north of Wedderburn, 100 km north-west of Bendigo and 240 km north-west of Melbourne...

, a nature reserve

Nature reserve

A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...

 owned by Bush Heritage Australia

Bush Heritage Australia

Bush Heritage Australia is a non-profit organisation based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia that operates throughout Australia. It was previously known as the Australian Bush Heritage Fund, which is still its legal name. It purchases land, assessed as being of outstanding conservation value, from...

 in central Victoria.

Description

The orchid bears two to six translucent green and white striped flowers up to 20 mm long on short stalks. The petals curve inwards, giving the flower a hooded appearance. It flowers: from October to November.

Distribution and habitat

The orchid has a restricted range. Before its rediscovery, the Robust Greenhood was last seen at Mount Tarrengower near Maldon

Maldon, Victoria

Maldon is a town in Victoria, Australia, in the Shire of Mount Alexander local government area. It has been designated "Australia's first notable town" and is celebrated for its 19th-century appearance, maintained since gold-rush days...

 in 1941, with previous records limited to granite

Granite

Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...

hills in the Maldon area. It had never been recorded in the vicinity of Nardoo Hills, some 90 km north-west of Maldon.