Still more about local Greenhoods.

Today I went back to Macquarie Pass, with Alan Stephenson from the Illawarra branch of the Australasian Native Orchid Society (ANOS). Although this is classic rainforest country, we did find clearings where Greenhoods were happily growing.

Alan getting "up close and personal" with a group of Greenhoods.
I'm glad it is not just me that does this kind of thing.

We found many more Greenhoods, in the same general area where I had found the earlier this week. It seems strange, but I think we found one species today which I did not photograph last week, and one which I did photograph last week, I don't think we found today. It is very annoying, but not totally surprising, as these things are far from obvious.

The plant on the right is a classic example of Pterostylis hildae - with a broad nose to the hood. But the other plant is much narrower, and more pointed. It is likely to be Pt. acuminata.
We found a number of these specimens today. They have short points (or "ears"). The only question in my mind is that they do not appear to be "open" in the front. Does that mean they are not yet fully developed flowers?
This one has a very long "nose", and the two lateral sepals, in front, which form the "sinus" and the "points" are starting to separate away from the body of the flower - so it is clearly a fully mature flower, now.
By way of contrast, here is a fat Greenhood, with a very distinctive twisted tongue ("Labellum"). This is Pt. curta. I kid you not, the twisted tongue is its most diagnostic feature - and it is usually quite noticeable - as long as you are prepared to get down on your hands and knees.From the side or the rear, it Pt. curta is very obviously deeper green than Pt. hildae, and with a wide base to the flower (emphasised by the white markings).
We did find another type of Orchid today, which might be a Chiloglottis, or maybe its "cousin" a Myrmechila species. More about that in a few days, when I check some more references.