Three Hummock leek orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Three Hummock leek orchid |
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The Prasophyllum atratum, also known as the Three Hummock leek orchid, is a special type of orchid. It grows only in Tasmania, Australia. This orchid has a single, dark green leaf shaped like a tube. Its flowers are brownish-green or purplish-green. They also have a dark purplish lip, called a labellum. This rare orchid is found in only one place: Three Hummock Island. There are fewer than one thousand of these plants left.
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What is the Three Hummock Leek Orchid?
How it Looks
The Three Hummock leek orchid is a plant that grows from an underground tuber. It has one dark green, tube-shaped leaf. This leaf can be from 120 to 400 millimeters (about 5 to 16 inches) long. It is about 4 to 6 millimeters (about 0.16 to 0.24 inches) wide near its base. The base of the leaf is often reddish or purple.
This orchid grows a flowering stem that is 50 to 100 millimeters (about 2 to 4 inches) long. The whole plant can reach a height of 150 to 300 millimeters (about 6 to 12 inches). It has between eight and twenty-five flowers on this stem. The flowers are brownish-green to purplish-green.
Each flower is about 7 millimeters (about 0.28 inches) wide. Like other leek orchids, its flowers are upside down. This means the lip (labellum) is above the central part (column), not below it. The top part of the flower, called the dorsal sepal, is 5 to 7 millimeters long. The side sepals are 5.5 to 7.5 millimeters long. The petals are 5 to 7 millimeters long and curve.
The labellum, or lip, of the flower is dark purplish. It is 4.5 to 5.5 millimeters long and 3 to 4 millimeters wide. It gets narrower to a point and bends sharply upwards in the middle. There is a dark, raised area called a callus in the center of the labellum. This callus reaches almost to the tip. These orchids usually bloom in October and November.
Its Name and Discovery
The Three Hummock leek orchid was officially named Prasophyllum atratum in 2006. It was named by a botanist named David Jones. He found a sample of the plant near the airstrip on Three Hummock Island. The name atratum comes from a Latin word. It means "dressed in black," which describes the dark colors of its flowers.
Where it Grows
The Three Hummock leek orchid lives in a special type of grassy area. This area is called "sedgy heath." It is found only on Three Hummock Island in Tasmania.
Protecting This Rare Orchid
The Prasophyllum atratum is a very rare plant. It is listed as "Critically Endangered" by the Australian government. This means it is at a very high risk of disappearing forever. The Tasmanian government also lists it as "Endangered," which is their highest risk category.
This orchid is only known from one group of plants. Most of these plants grow on and around an airstrip. Interestingly, the orchid seems to grow better when the ground is disturbed. This might be because disturbance helps its seeds sprout or reduces competition from other plants. Protecting this small group of orchids is very important to keep them from vanishing.
