Prasophyllum niphopedium

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Marsh 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. niphopedium
Binomial name
Prasophyllum niphopedium

Prasophyllum niphopedium, commonly known as the marsh leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to a small area in Victoria. It has a single tubular leaf and up to twenty greenish flowers with reddish markings. It is only known from five population on grassy alpine plains with the total number of individual plants less than five hundred.

Contents

Description

Prasophyllum niphopedium is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single tube-shaped leaf up to 300 mm (10 in) long and 5 mm (0.2 in) wide at the base. Between ten and twenty faintly scented flowers are loosely arranged along flowering stem 70–120 mm (3–5 in) long which reaches to a height of 200–350 mm (8–10 in). The flowers are lightly scented, greenish with pink or reddish markings and as with others in the genus, are inverted so that the labellum is above the column rather than below it. The ovary is oval-shaped and 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long. The dorsal sepal is egg-shaped and 6–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long and the lateral sepals are a similar length but linear to lance-shaped and are free, or mostly free from each other. The petals are linear to lance-shaped, 5–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) and curve forwards. The labellum is trowel-shaped, pink, 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) long and turns sharply upwards near its middle. There is a brown or green, short, channelled and wrinkled callus in the centre of the labellum. Flowering occurs from December to February. [2]

Taxonomy and naming

Prasophyllum niphopedium was first formally described in 2000 by David Jones and the description was published in The Orchadian from a specimen collected in the Cobberas Range. [1]

Distribution and habitat

The marsh leek orchid grows on snow plains in grassy alpine heath, usually near watercourses in the Cobberas Range and Benambra area. The number of plants fluctuates between two hundred and five hundred in five populations. [2]

Conservation

Prasophyllum niphopedium is listed as "Endangered" under the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 but is not listed under the Commonwealth Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC) Act. The main threats to the species are soil disturbance and grazing by feral horses and cattle and inappropriate fire regimes. [2] [3]

Related Research Articles

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Prasophyllum tadgellianum, commonly known as the alpine leek orchid, is a species of orchid native to the Snowy Mountains and Tasmania. It has a single stiff, erect leaf and up to twenty scented, greenish-brown or reddish-brown flowers crowded on a stout spike.

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

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

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<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 canaliculatum</i> Species of orchid

Prasophyllum canaliculatum, commonly known as the channelled leek orchid or summer leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to a small area of southern New South Wales. It has a single tubular, bright green leaf and up to twenty five scented, greenish-red or brownish flowers on a flowering stem. It grows in woodland at altitudes around 1,000 m (3,000 ft) where only about two hundred plants survive.

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

Prasophyllum caudiculum, commonly known as the Guyra leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to a small area of northern New South Wales. It has a single tubular, bright green leaf and up to thirty five greenish to reddish-brown flowers crowded along an erect flowering stem. It grows in grassy places near Guyra.

<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 erythrocommum, commonly known as the tan leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to Victoria. It has a single tubular green leaf and up to thirty small, greenish-brown to dark brown flowers. It is a very rare orchid, only known from a single small area north of Melbourne.

Prasophyllum fosteri, commonly known as the Shelford leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to a small region of Victoria. It has a single tubular green leaf and up to twenty five green to reddish-brown flowers. It is a very rare orchid, only known from a single population on a roadside.

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

Prasophyllum fuscum, commonly known as the slaty leek orchid or tawny leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to a small region of New South Wales. It has a single tubular green leaf and up to thirty greenish brown to reddish brown flowers. There is debate about the taxonomy of the species with some authorities considering Prasophyllum uroglossum as a separate species. Only about twenty five plants are known to survive in south-western Sydney.

Prasophyllum gilgai, commonly known as the gilgai leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to Victoria. It has a single tubular green leaf and up to twenty greenish brown, light brown, pink or white flowers. It is a very rare orchid with a population of fewer than fifty plants in a small area in the north of the state.

Prasophyllum hygrophilum, commonly known as the swamp leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to Victoria. It has a single tubular green leaf and up to thirty greenish brown, pink or mauve flowers. It is a rare orchid only known from two populations and is classified as "endangered" in Victoria.

Prasophyllum incompositum is a species of orchid endemic to Queensland. It has a single tubular, dark green leaf and up to thirty scented, greenish-brown and white flowers. It has only been recorded from the Carnarvon National Park.

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

Prasophyllum maccannii, commonly known as the inland leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to Victoria. It has a single tubular green leaf and up to forty green, greenish-pink or brownish flowers. It is found in the central-west of the state, growing in open forest.

Prasophyllum readii, commonly known as the Streathem leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to Victoria. It has a single, tubular leaf and up to twenty five scented, greenish-brown to reddish-brown flowers with a white or pinkish labellum and is only known from a swamp in the south-west of the state.

Prasophyllum rogersii, commonly known as the Barrington Tops leek orchid is a species of orchid endemic to New South Wales. It has a single tubular leaf and up to twenty five reddish-brown flowers and only occurs in a few locations at higher altitudes.

Prasophyllum suaveolens, commonly known as the fragrant leek orchid, is a species of orchid species endemic to inland Victoria. It has a single bright green, tube-shaped leaf with a reddish base and up to twenty five green to yellowish-green flowers with red markings. The flowers are the smallest of any leek orchid found in Victoria.

Prasophyllum uvidulum, commonly known as the summer leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to Victoria. It has a single, tubular leaf and up to twenty five scented, pale green flowers with reddish markings and is only known from a swamp in the north-east of the state.

<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.

References

  1. 1 2 "Prasophyllum niphopedium". APNI. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 Jeanes, Jeff. "Prasophyllum niphopedium". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  3. "National recovery plan for Twenty-five threatened orchid taxa of Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales 2003 - 2007" . Retrieved 29 November 2017.