Prasophyllum brevisepalum

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Prasophyllum brevisepalum
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Orchidoideae
Tribe: Diurideae
Subtribe: Prasophyllinae
Genus: Prasophyllum
Species:
P. brevisepalum
Binomial name
Prasophyllum brevisepalum

Prasophyllum brevisepalum is a species of orchid endemic to New South Wales. It has a single tubular, shiny dark green leaf and up to thirty five scented, yellowish to brownish green and white flowers. It is only known from a single population growing in woodland near Inverell.

Contents

Description

Prasophyllum brevisepalum is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single shiny, dark green, tube-shaped leaf, 200–350 mm (8–10 in) long and 3–5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide with a purplish base. Between fifteen and thirty five flowers are crowded along a flowering spike 100–150 mm (4–6 in) long, reaching to a height of up to 400 mm (20 in). The flowers are sweetly scented and yellowish to brownish green. As with others in the genus, the flowers are inverted so that the labellum is above the column rather than below it. The dorsal sepal is egg-shaped to lance-shaped, 7–9 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long, about 3 mm (0.1 in) wide and has three to five darker veins and a pointed tip. The lateral sepals are linear to lance-shaped, 6–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long, about 3 mm (0.1 in) wide and curved forwards. The petals are white with a reddish-brown centre, linear, 7–8 mm (0.28–0.31 in) long and 1–2 mm (0.04–0.08 in) wide. The labellum is white, oblong, 8.5–10.5 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long, 4.5–5.5 mm (0.18–0.22 in) wide and turns sharply upwards through about 90°. There is a lance-shaped to egg-shaped yellow to yellowish-green callus in the centre of the labellum, extending well past the bend. Flowering occurs between mid September and mid October. [2]

Taxonomy and naming

Prasophyllum brevisepalum was first formally described in 2018 by David Jones and Lachlan Copeland from a specimen collected near Inverell and the description was published in Australian Orchid Review. [1] The specific epithet (brevisepalum) is derived from the Latin word brevis meaning "short", [3] :708 and the Neo-Latin word sepalum meaning "sepal", [3] :466 referring to the relatively short sepals of this species. [2]

Distribution and habitat

This leek orchid grows in grassy woodland at altitudes of about 630 m (2,000 ft) near Inverell where it is only known from a single population growing in soil derived from basalt. [2]

Related Research Articles

Prasophyllum correctum, commonly known as the gaping leek orchid or Bairnsdale leek orchid, is a species of orchid species endemic to a small region in Victoria. It has a single dark green, tube-shaped leaf and up to twenty strongly scented, yellowish-green flowers and is only known from railway reserves near Bairnsdale.

<i>Prasophyllum sphacelatum</i> Species of orchid

Prasophyllum sphacelatum, commonly known as the subalpine leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has a single tubular, dull green leaf and up to eighteen scented, green to brownish flowers with a green to pinkish labellum. It grows in subalpine areas of New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.

<i>Prasophyllum wilkinsoniorum</i> Species of orchid

Prasophyllum wilkinsoniorum is a species of orchid endemic to New South Wales. It has a single tubular, bright green leaf and up to forty five scented, dark greenish-brown to brownish-red flowers with a green to pinkish labellum. It grows in grassy places in a restricted area on the Southern Tablelands.

<i>Prasophyllum colensoi</i> Species of orchid

Prasophyllum colensoi is a species of orchid endemic to New Zealand where it is commonly known as the leek orchid. It has a single tubular, dark green leaf and up to twenty scented, yellowish-green to reddish-brown flowers. It is similar to P. hectori, the only other species of Prasophyllum found in New Zealand, but is distinguished from it by its smaller size, fewer flowers and different habitat.

<i>Prasophyllum dossenum</i> Species of orchid

Prasophyllum dossenum is a species of orchid endemic to a small area of northern New South Wales. It has a single tubular, dark green leaf and up to thirty scented pinkish-white and greenish-brown flowers crowded along an erect flowering stem. It is a rare orchid which grows in grassy places on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales.

Prasophyllum incorrectum, commonly known as the golfer's leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to Tasmania. It has a single tubular, dark green leaf and up to twenty scented, yellowish-green and reddish-brown flowers. The largest population occurs on a golf course.

Prasophyllum incurvum is a species of orchid endemic to Tasmania. It has a single tubular, bright green leaf and up to forty brownish-green, white and purplish flowers. It is similar to P. alpestre but has larger flowers and petals which curve forwards.

Prasophyllum keltonii, commonly known as Kelton's leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to a small region of New South Wales. It has a single tubular, bright green leaf and up to twenty two scented, green, brownish-red or purplish flowers. It is a very rare orchid with only a few hundred plants known.

<i>Prasophyllum viretrum</i> Species of orchid

Prasophyllum viretrum is a species of orchid endemic to Victoria. It has a single tubular, dark green leaf and up to thirty five scented, greenish-brown to brownish flowers and is only known from a few small populations in south-western Victoria.

Prasophyllum roseum, commonly known as the pink lip leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to southern continental Australia. It has a single tube-shaped leaf and up to thirty greenish flowers with a pink labellum. It is a recently described plant, previously included with P. fitzgeraldii, but distinguished from that species by its smaller, less crowded flowers, with more spreading lateral sepals and different labellum callus. It grows in the south-east of South Australia and in western Victoria.

Prasophyllum nitidum, commonly known as the shining leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to southern continental Australia. It has a single tube-shaped leaf and up to twenty maroon, magenta or purple and green flowers with a pale purple to maroon labellum. It is a recently described plant, previously included with P. fitzgeraldii, but distinguished from that species by its shorter flower spike, glossy flowers and shining, raised labellum callus. It grows in the south-east of South Australia and in a single location in western Victoria.

Prasophyllum occidentale, commonly known as the plains leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to southern continental Australia. It has a single tubular leaf and up to twenty five small, pale yellowish-green flowers. It is found in South Australia and Victoria although regarded by some taxonomists as a South Australian endemic.

Prasophyllum beatrix, commonly known as the Marung leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to eastern Australia. It has a single tubular leaf and up to thirty five scented flowers with yellowish-green or purplish markings and is mainly confined to New South Wales.

Prasophyllum catenemum is a species of orchid endemic to South Australia. It has a single tubular leaf and up to twenty white and green to purplish flowers. It is only known from a small area of the coast of the state where it grows in shrubland which is often engulfed by unstable sand dunes.

Prasophyllum collinum is a species of orchid endemic to South Australia. It has a single tubular leaf and up to thirty lemon-scented, greenish brown and white flowers. It is only known from the Eyre Peninsula where it grows in sparse woodland.

<i>Prasophyllum basalticum</i> Species of orchid

Prasophyllum basalticum is a species of orchid endemic to New South Wales. It has a single tubular, dark green leaf and up to fifteen scented, greenish-brown to brownish-red flowers with a white and green labellum. It grows in grassy woodland on the Northern Tablelands.

Prasophyllum graniticola is a species of orchid endemic to New South Wales. It has a single tubular, shiny dark green leaf and up to twenty five scented, greenish to brownish and white flowers. It is only known from two populations on the Northern Tablelands.

Prasophyllum holzingeri is a species of orchid endemic to New South Wales. It has a single tubular, shiny dark green leaf and up to fifteen unscented, greenish to brownish pink and white flowers. It is only known from a few populations in the Barrington Tops area.

Prasophyllum pictum is a species of orchid endemic to New South Wales. It has a single tubular, shiny dark green leaf and up to twenty two scented brown, pink, purple and white flowers. It is only known from three subpopulations on the Northern Tablelands.

Prasophyllum pilligaense is a species of orchid endemic to New South Wales. It has a single tubular, shiny dark green leaf and up to thirty scented greenish brown to brownish and white flowers. It is only known from a few populations in the Coonabarabran district.

References

  1. 1 2 "Prasophyllum basalticum". APNI. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 Jones, David L.; Copeland, Lachlan M. (2018). "Six new species of Prasophyllum R.Br. in the Prasophyllum patens R.Br. /Prasophyllum odoratum R.S.Rogers complex from northern New South Wales". Australian Orchid Review. 83 (1): 42–43.
  3. 1 2 Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.