Prasophyllum campestre

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Inland leek orchid
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. campestre
Binomial name
Prasophyllum campestre

Prasophyllum campestre, commonly known as the sandplain leek orchid, or inland leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to eastern Australia. It has a single tubular, yellowish-green leaf and up to twenty greenish, strongly scented flowers with red, purplish, brown or white marks. It grows in the drier parts of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.

Contents

Description

Prasophyllum campestre is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single tube-shaped, yellowish-green leaf. The leaf has a reddish base and is 80–350 mm (3–10 in) long and 5–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) in diameter at the base. Between ten and twenty, highly fragrant flowers are widely spaced along a flowering spike 100–400 mm (4–20 in) tall. The flowers are greenish with red, purplish, brown or white marks and are 9–11 mm (0.35–0.43 in) wide. 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 lance-shaped, 8–12 mm (0.3–0.5 in) long and about 3 mm (0.1 in) wide. The lateral sepals are 7–10 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long and about 1.5 mm (0.06 in) wide, free from each other and spread widely apart at their ends. The petals are linear, 7–11 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long and about 1 mm (0.04 in) wide. The labellum is lance-shaped to egg-shaped, 6–9 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long, about 4 mm (0.16 in) wide with the outer end turned upwards at 90° and wavy edges. There is a fleshy, greenish callus in the centre of the labellum. Flowering occurs from September and October. [2] [3]

Taxonomy and naming

Prasophyllum campestre was first formally described in 1991 by Robert Bates and David Jones from a specimen collected near Nymagee and the description was published in Australian Orchid Research. [1] [3] The specific epithet (campestre) is a Latin word meaning "of or pertaining to fields", [4] referring to the habitat of this species. [3]

Distribution and habitat

The inland leek orchid grows in semi arid areas in fertile, water-retaining soil. It occurs in inland areas of southern Queensland, New South Wales and northern Victoria. [2] [3]

Related Research Articles

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

Prasophyllum petilum, commonly known as the Tarengo leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to eastern Australia. It has a single tubular, green leaf and up to eighteen pinkish mauve to greenish flowers, well-spaced along a slender flowering stem. It is a small orchid, difficult to locate, generally growing in taller grasses.

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

Prasophyllum montanum, commonly known as the mountain leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to eastern Australia. It has a single tubular, green leaf and up to fifty scented, greenish to pinkish flowers. It grows in montane ecosystems at altitudes above 1,500 m (5,000 ft).

Prasophyllum candidum, commonly known as the Kiandra leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to eastern Australia. It has a single tubular, yellowish-green leaf and up to forty scented, bright white to greenish flowers. It grows in subalpine areas at altitudes above 1,000 m (3,000 ft) in New South Wales and Victoria although in the latter state it is considered to be a form of P. odoratum.

<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 fecundum, commonly known as the self-pollinating leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to South Australia. It has a single, smooth, tube-shaped leaf with a reddish or purplish base, and up to twelve relatively small green and purplish flowers. The flowers are short-lived and self-pollinating although attractive to insects.

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 macrostachyum, commonly known as the laughing leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single smooth, tube-shaped leaf and up to thirty yellowish-green and purple flowers. It is one of the few Western Australian leek orchids which is not stimulated by summer fires and also has an unusually long flowering period.

Prasophyllum macrotys, commonly known as the inland leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single tubular leaf and up to thirty greenish to purplish flowers and is similar to the tall leek orchid but has smaller, darker flowers.

Prasophyllum milfordense is a species of orchid endemic to Tasmania. It has a single tubular, dark green leaf and up to thirty greenish-brown, white and purplish flowers. It is a very rare orchid, only found in a single location with a population of around 240 plants.

Prasophyllum truncatum, commonly known as the truncate leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to Tasmania. It has a single tubular, dark green leaf and up to twenty whitish flowers with purplish and greenish-brown markings. It is a late-flowering leek orchid and its flowering is stimulated by earlier fire.

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

Prasophyllum tunbridgense, commonly known as the Tunbridge leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to Tasmania. It has a single tubular, bright green leaf and up to twenty five relatively large, green to light greenish-brown flowers with white petals and a large white labellum.

Prasophyllum wallum, commonly known as the wallum leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to a small area in Queensland. It has a single tubular leaf and up to eighteen scented, greenish flowers with a white labellum. It is a distinctive species of leek orchid with its green and white, crowded flowers.

Prasophyllum mimulum, commonly known as the highland leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to Tasmania. It has a single tubular, green leaf and up to ten greenish-brown to purplish flowers with purple and white petals and a white labellum. It is restricted to subalpine areas of the state.

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 crassum is a species of orchid endemic to South Australia. It has a single tube-shaped leaf and up to fifteen greenish and pinkish-brown flowers with a whitish labellum. It is a recently described plant, previously included with P. fitzgeraldii, but distinguished from that species by its smaller number of smaller, less colourful flowers and different labellum shape. It grows in the south-east of the state and usually only appears after fire.

Prasophyllum tortilis is a species of orchid endemic to South Australia. It has a single tube-shaped leaf and up to ten purplish-brown and green flowers with a purple labellum. It is a recently described plant, previously included with P. fitzgeraldii, but distinguished from that species by its smaller number of smaller, more darkly coloured, short-lived flowers. It also resembles P. goldsackii but has fleshier flowers than that species.

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.

Prasophyllum praecox, commonly known as the early leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to South Australia. It has a single tubular leaf and up to ten green to greenish brown and white flowers and is found in the southern parts of the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia.

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 campestre". APNI. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
  2. 1 2 Bernhardt, Peter; Rowe, Ross. "Prasophyllum campestre". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney - plantnet. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Jones, David L.; Bates, Robert John (1991). "New taxa of Australian Orchidaceae". Australian Orchid Research. 2: 75–76.
  4. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 325.