Bairnsdale leek orchid facts for kids

The Bairnsdale leek orchid (scientific name: Prasophyllum correctum) is a special type of orchid. It's also called the gaping leek orchid. This plant is found only in a small area of Victoria, Australia. It has one dark green, tube-shaped leaf. It also grows up to twenty yellowish-green flowers that smell very strong! You can only find this orchid near railway lines around Bairnsdale.

What Does It Look Like?

The Bairnsdale leek orchid is a plant that grows on land. It's a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It's also deciduous, so its leaves fall off at certain times. This plant is a herb, which means it has soft stems, not woody ones.

Its Leaf and Stem

Underground, it has a tuber, which is like a small, swollen root that stores food. It grows a single leaf that looks like a tube. This leaf is yellowish-green and can be from 120 to 300 millimeters (about 5 to 12 inches) long. It's about 3 to 5 millimeters (0.1 to 0.2 inches) wide. The bottom part of the leaf, near the ground, is often red or purple.

Its Flowers

The orchid grows a flowering stem that can be 150 to 400 millimeters (about 6 to 16 inches) tall. Along this stem, ten to twenty flowers grow. These flowers are yellowish-green and have a very strong scent.

Like other leek orchids, its flowers are upside down! This means the special lip-like part, called the labellum, is above the central part (the column) instead of below it.

• The dorsal sepal (the top part of the flower) is shaped like a line or an egg. It's 7 to 9 millimeters long and about 3 millimeters wide. It points downwards.
• The lateral sepals (the two side parts) are also line-shaped. They are 7 to 9 millimeters long and about 1.5 to 2 millimeters wide. They are separate from each other.
• The petals are shaped like an egg or a spear. They are 6 to 8 millimeters long and about 1 millimeter wide. They curve upwards and have brown lines.
• The labellum (the special lip) is oblong or egg-shaped. It's 6 to 8 millimeters long and about 4 millimeters wide. It curves upwards and gets narrower at the tip. Sometimes, it reaches above the side sepals. The edges of the labellum are usually smooth, not crinkled. In the middle, there's a fleshy, green, grooved part called a callus.

These orchids usually bloom in October and November.

How It Got Its Name

The Bairnsdale leek orchid was officially described in 1994 by a botanist named David Jones. He wrote about it in a science journal called Novon.

A Naming Story

When David Jones first found what he thought was a new type of Prasophyllum orchid in 1991, he named it P. chasmogamum. However, later on, scientists realized that this orchid was actually another known species called Prasophyllum pyriforme.

They then found a different, truly new orchid specimen from the same spot that had been missed before. To fix the earlier mistake, they gave this newly recognized species the name correctum. This specific epithet (correctum) means "correct" or "corrected," which is a nod to the earlier mix-up!

Where It Lives

The gaping leek orchid grows in grassy areas and woodlands. It's only found in two places between Stratford and Bairnsdale in Victoria.

Why It Needs Our Help

The Bairnsdale leek orchid is very rare. It's only known from two locations, and there are fewer than 150 plants left in total! Because of this, it's considered a Threatened species under a Victorian law called the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. It's also listed as Endangered under a national Australian law, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC) Act.

Main Dangers to the Orchid

• Competition: Other plants, especially introduced species, can grow too close and take away sunlight, water, and nutrients from the orchids.
• Grazing: Rabbits like to eat these orchids, which harms the small population.
• Fire: The wrong amount or type of fire can also hurt the plants.