Synonyms: Chiloterus D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem. APNI* Mecopodum D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem. APNI*
Description: Terrestrial herbs, sympodial; roots subterranean, filamentous; tuberoids paired; pseudobulbs absent.
Leaves basal, 1 per shoot, iusually well-developed and green, rarely reduced or purplish, cylindrical, hollow, not petiolate; apex usually withering at flowering.
Inflorescence racemose or spicate, many-flowered, terminal, emerging through a membranous point on the upper part of the leaf. Flowers not resupinate. Dorsal sepal free, slightly shorter to slightly longer than, and broader than lateral sepals. Lateral sepals free or connate. Lateral petals free, slightly shorter and usually narrower than dorsal sepal. Labellum free, rigidly attached to the base of the column or to a short, immobile claw; lamina not lobed or obscurely 3-lobed, with entire to crenulate, often strongly undulate margins; callus with a basal shallow cup or sack and central fleshy callus pad or plate which is usually channelled, sometimes strongly ridged and/or ornamented with tufts or warts. Column lacking free filament and style, stubby; column wings fused basally to column but apically forming prominent, free, lateral, entire to 2-lobed arms. Column foot absent. Anther erect, parallel to the axis of the column, persistent. Pollinia4, in 2 caudicle-bearing pairs, granular. Stigma entire. Rostellum apical, extended, triangular to linear, tipped with a wedge shaped viscidium bearing a stipe.
Seeds dust-like, not winged.
Distribution and occurrence: World: c. 60 species, Australia, New Zealand. Australia: c. 58 species (c. 57 species endemic), all States except N.T.
We have chosen not to recognise Chiloterus or Mecopodum, segregated from Prasophyllum by Jones and Clements (2004, Orchadian 14 Scientific Supplement i-xvi) until phylogenetic evidence is published showing that these changes are necessary. (P.H. Weston March 2007)
Text by P. Bernhardt & R. R. Rowe Taxon concept: P. Bernhardt & R. R. Rowe (1993, Flora of New South Wales vol. 4)
Taxa not yet included in identification key
Prasophyllum albovirens,
Prasophyllum alpestre,
Prasophyllum bagoense,
Prasophyllum beatrix,
Prasophyllum canaliculatum,
Prasophyllum caricetum,
Prasophyllum caudiculum,
Prasophyllum fitzgeraldii,
Prasophyllum frenchii,
Prasophyllum helophilum,
Prasophyllum innubum,
Prasophyllum keltonii,
Prasophyllum pyriforme,
Prasophyllum solstitium,
Prasophyllum sp. Long Plain (G.P. Phillips 1403),
Prasophyllum sp. Moama (D.L.Jones 19276),
Prasophyllum sphacelatum,
Prasophyllum tadgellianum,
Prasophyllum venustum,
Prasophyllum viriosum,
Prasophyllum wilkinsoniorum
| Key to the species | |
1 | Rostellum and column wings much elongated and linear (at least twice as long as the anther); largely autumn-flowering | Prasophyllum striatum |
| Rostellum and column wings short and broad with rostellum triangular and staminodes weakly triangular to sickle-shaped (not much longer than the anther); flowers spring–summer | 2 |
2 | Ovary elongate, cylindrical, appressed to rachis | 3 |
| Ovary ovoid to pyriform, not appressed to rachis Back to 1 | 5 |
3 | Leaf lamina greatly reduced, less than 2 cm long; lateral sepals cucullate | Prasophyllum flavum |
| Leaf lamina at leasat 3 cm long; lateral sepals erect Back to 2 | 4 |
4 | Leaf base with vertical red striations; labellum base gibbous, lamina strongly reflexed | Prasophyllum australe |
| Leaf base without striations; labellum base not gibbous, lamina recurved at less then 90° Back to 3 | Prasophyllum elatum |
5 | Labellum lamina papillose or minutely pubescent | 6 |
| Labellum lamina glabrous Back to 2 | 7 |
6 | Flowers crowded; labellum without a sigmoid bend; petals reflexed; alpine species | Prasophyllum retroflexum |
| Flowers not crowded; labellum with a sigmoid bend; petals not reflexed; coastal species Back to 5 | Prasophyllum lindleyanum |
7 | Labellum callus hardly raised, lamina voluminous, usually white, pellucid, crisped | 8 |
| Labellum callus distinctly raised, lamina not voluminous, variously coloured but not pure white, not pellucid Back to 5 | 14 |
8 | Lateral sepals cojoined for at least part of their length | 9 |
| Lateral sepals free and divergent Back to 7 | 12 |
9 | Lateral sepals free at base, joined near their knobbed apices | Prasophyllum dossenum |
| Lateral sepals joined from the base, apices not knobbed Back to 8 | 10 |
10 | Alpine plants with a blunt leaf apex; labellum not reflexed back upon itself | Prasophyllum suttonii |
| Non-alpine plants, leaf apex acute; labellum reflexed back on itself Back to 9 | 11 |
11 | Flowers more than 7 mm across; labellum more than 8 mm long; labellum callus without tufted papillae; plants not very slender, to 50 cm high, many-flowered (usually 10–35); widespread species | Prasophyllum brevilabre |
| Flowers less than 7 mm across; labellum less than 8 mm long; labellum callus tufted with papillae; plants slender, filiform, usually less than 20 cm high, less than 10-flowered; confined to far north coast Back to 10 | Prasophyllum exilis |
12 | Labellum reflexed back on itself; common widespread species | Prasophyllum odoratum |
| Labellum recurved, but not reflexed back on itself; species with restricted distribution, in alpine sites and coastal districts Back to 8 | 13 |
13 | Labellum broad, recurved gradually in a semi-circle; flowers sweetly fragrant; robust alpine plants | Prasophyllum candidum |
| Labellum narrow, recurved at a sharp angle; flowers lemon-scented; slender lowland plants Back to 12 | Prasophyllum patens |
14 | Lateral sepals at least partly cojoined in most flowers | 15 |
| Lateral sepals free in mature flowers Back to 7 | 17 |
15 | Flowers less than 1 cm across; lateral sepals strongly recurved; labellum lamina c. 1 mm wide with straight margins; alpine plants | Prasophyllum alpinum |
| Flowers more than 1 cm across; lateral sepals hardly recurved; labellum lamina more than 1 mm wide with undulate margins; lowland plants Back to 14 | 16 |
16 | Flowers thick-textured; petals incurved; labellum lamina often constricted, callus plate arising before the labellum bend and greatly raised; plants of coastal heath | Prasophyllum affine |
| Flowers thin-textured; petals straight; labellum triangular, not constricted, callus not greatly raised, not present before the labellum bend; forest plants Back to 15 | Prasophyllum sylvestre |
17 | Labellum base circular, apical portion small, tail- or appendix-like, margins neither undulate nor crenulate | 18 |
| Labellum base not circular, apical portion not tail- or appendix-like, but tapering gradually into the base, margins crenulate or undulate Back to 14 | 19 |
18 | Column appendages longer than rostellum, pink; labellum calluse well-developed before the bend; swamp plants | Prasophyllum fuscum |
| Column appendages shorter than the rostellum, dull-coloured; labellum callus developing at the bend; heath or forest plants Back to 17 | Prasophyllum appendiculatum |
19 | Labellum with a short conical swelling at the base; callus plate very broad at base; column appendages longer than rostellum | 20 |
| Labellum without a short conical basal swelling, callus plate narrow and tapering throughout; column appendages shorter than rostellum Back to 17 | 21 |
20 | Labellum callus very short, obtuse; flower segments less than 9 mm long | Prasophyllum rogersii |
| Labellum callus with an extended sub-acute midlobe; floral segments more than 9 mm long Back to 19 | Prasophyllum sp. A sensu Harden (1993) |
21 | Floral bract acute; labellum callus swollen, column appendages as broad as long | 22 |
| Floral bracts obtuse, labellum callus, minutely wrinkled or irregular; column appendages longer than broad Back to 19 | 23 |
22 | Flowers large, 3-coloured, strongly fragrant; sepals more than 8 mm long; widespread species of inland plains | Prasophyllum campestre |
| Flowers small, dull-coloured, weakly fragrant; sepals less than 8 mm long; restricted to a small area near Canberra Back to 21 | Prasophyllum petilum |
23 | Flowers drying dark, petals with longitudinal darker stripe outside; labellum margins undulate, not crenulate; plants from damp sites | Prasophyllum pallens |
| Flowers drying pale; petals uniformly coloured; labellum margins crenulate; plants of dry subalpine redges Back to 21 | Prasophyllum montanum |
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