Nervilia peltata
Grey shield orchid (Nervilia peltata) is a small ground orchid found in northern Australia. It grows in forests and woodlands, often among grasses, and forms colonies where only a few plants flower each year. Each plant may produce up to three pale green flowers with a white lip, and the flowers last about a day. The flowering stem is 100–200 mm tall, bearing a single flower 20–28 mm across. The sepals are 18–23 mm long and about 3 mm wide; the petals are similar but slightly shorter. The labellum is white with a wide fringe and small calli. After flowering, a pale greyish-green, almost circular leaf with a central stalk develops at the base of the flowering stem, and this also occurs on plants that did not flower. Flowering occurs from December to February. The species was described in 1994 by Bruce Gray and D. L. Jones; the name peltata means shield-shaped. It is found from the Cape York Peninsula south to Hinchinbrook Island, on some Torres Strait islands, and in northern Northern Territory. Its habitat is forests or woodlands with grasses, often in large open colonies.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 18:39 (CET).