Common name: Southern Leek Orchid
Prasophyllum australe R.Br. APNI* Synonyms: Prasophyllum lutescens Lindl. APNI*
Description: Terrestrial herb, to 90 cm high.
Leaf to 35 cm long.
Inflorescence to 50-flowered, crowded. Flowers white with reddish brown and green stripes, highly fragrant. Dorsal sepal and ovate, to 8 mm long. Lateral sepals to 8 mm long, and united almost to tips (infrequently free or united to only halfway). Lateral petals lanceolate, to 7 mm long, apices acute, brownish with pale edges. Labellum to 8 mm long, c. 2.5 mm wide, lanceolate when flattened; in living flowers, the upper portion recurving until the tip touches the gibbous base, the margins crisped, pellucid and often undulating. Callus plate extending almost half the length of the lamina ending in 2, compressed but much raised bumps or prongs. Column wings short, weakly triangular (often obtuse); rostellum longer than wings.
Flowering: September–January, flowering more freely after fires.
Distribution and occurrence: Forms small colonies in swamps or peat bogs in forest or heath; chiefly coastal, inland to the Blue Mtns.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, NT, CT, ST
Other Australian states: Qld Vic. Tas. S.A.
Text by P. Bernhardt & R. R. Rowe
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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