Kiandra Greenhood (Pterostylis oreophila)

Description

• The Kiandra Greenhood is also known as the Blue-tongued Greenhood.
• It is a terrestrial orchid that grows up to 200 mm tall.
• It has dark green, fleshy, flat leaves and a single green and white flower that grows to 25–30 mm long and 12–16 mm wide.
• Its curved labellum is blue or blue-green.
• It’s pollinated by gnats, mosquitoes and flowers from November to January.

Where to find them

The Kiandra Greenhood can be found fragmented across 20 different sites. They occur in 4 distinct locations, including:

• the Brindabella Ranges, ACT
• Kiandra, NSW
• Bargo, NSW
• north-east Victoria.

In the ACT, there are 2 sub-populations, with 60 mature plants in Namadgi National Park in the Brindabella Ranges.

They’re found in alpine areas but only grow under specific conditions. This includes:

• next to small mountain and subalpine streams
• under bushes of Mountain Tea Tree (Leptospermum grandiflorum)
• in black mud, peaty soil and sphagnum moss mounds.

Conservation threats

The biggest threat to the Kiandra Greenhood is the destruction of its habitat. Other threats include:

• soil damage from feral pigs and deer rooting, wallowing and trampling
• changes to water flow caused by grazing
• poor land management such as improper fire practices
• illegal plant collection.

In the ACT, the main threats to the Namadgi National Park populations are pest animals and weeds. These pests can damage the habitats of the orchid, causing:

• disruption to soil
• selective and over-grazing
• erosion
• weed invasion.

Conservation status

• National – Critically endangered (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999).
• Australian Capital Territory – Critically endangered (Nature Conservation Act 2014).

Conservation actions

Conservation aims to protect the Kiandra Greenhood’s habitat. This includes to:

• identify populations that are high conservation priority
• monitor known populations to identify key threats
• make sure there is no unnecessary disturbance to known populations
• manage changes to water flow
• prevent the spread of invasive weeds
• control pest animals in the area
• include information about the Kiandra Greenhood habitat in fire management plans
• track and adjust management actions as needed
• raise awareness about the Kiandra Greenhood in the local community.

Strategies and plans