Cobra Greenhood

 

We are lucky here in Gippsland to be able to occasionally come across one of the increasingly vulnerable Greenhood species, the Cobra Greenhood.

Credit: ala.org

One could argue that with climate change and increasing habitat loss that all Greenhoods are under some degree of threat. Cobras are officially listed as vulnerable. The Cobra Greenhood is endemic to south-east Australia. 

Cobra Greenhoods are found in moist, shady forest habitats from the coast to the lower foothills. They can be found in flower from May to September.

 

With their fairly large flowerhead and flared hood, Cobras are always a delight to come across. Most of my own sightings have been of just one or two individual plants but I do recall one time stumbling across a colony of ten or so plants.