Prasophyllum brevisepalum facts for kids

Prasophyllum brevisepalum is a special type of orchid that only grows in New South Wales, Australia. It has a single, shiny, dark green leaf shaped like a tube. This orchid can have up to 35 flowers that smell sweet. Their colors are usually yellowish to brownish green and white. So far, this plant has only been found in one small area near Inverell.

What Does It Look Like?

Prasophyllum brevisepalum is a plant that grows on land. It is a perennial plant, which means it lives for more than two years. It is also deciduous, meaning its leaves fall off at certain times. This plant is a herb, so it does not have a woody stem like a tree.

Under the ground, it has a tuber, which is like a swollen root that stores food. From this tuber grows a single, shiny, dark green leaf. This leaf is shaped like a tube and can be about 200–350 mm (8–10 in) long and 3–5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide. The bottom part of the leaf is often purplish.

Flowers

This orchid grows a tall flower stalk, up to 400 mm (20 in) high. Along this stalk, between 15 and 35 flowers are packed closely together. The flowering part of the stalk is about 100–150 mm (4–6 in) long.

The flowers have a sweet smell and are yellowish to brownish green. Like other orchids in its group, these flowers are upside down. This means the labellum (a special petal) is above the column (the part with pollen) instead of below it.

• The dorsal sepal (the top part of the flower) looks like an egg or a spear. It is about 7–9 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long and 3 mm (0.1 in) wide. It has three to five darker lines and a pointed tip.
• The lateral sepals (the side parts) are narrow and spear-shaped. They are about 6–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in)^* long and 3 mm (0.1 in) wide, and they curve forward.
• The petals are white with a reddish-brown center. They are thin, about 7–8 mm (0.28–0.31 in) long and 1–2 mm (0.04–0.08 in) wide.
• The labellum is white and shaped like an oblong. It is about 8.5–10.5 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long and 4.5–5.5 mm (0.18–0.22 in) wide. It bends sharply upwards at about a 90-degree angle.
• In the middle of the labellum, there is a yellow or yellowish-green raised part called a callus. This callus is shaped like a spear or an egg and extends far past the bend in the labellum.

This orchid usually blooms between mid-September and mid-October.

How It Was Named

Prasophyllum brevisepalum was officially described in 2018. Two botanists, David Jones and Lachlan Copeland, gave it its name. They found a sample of this plant near Inverell. The description was then published in a science magazine called Australian Orchid Review.

The second part of its name, brevisepalum, tells us something about the plant. It comes from two Latin words:

• brevis means "short"
• sepalum means "sepal"

So, the name brevisepalum refers to the relatively short sepals (parts of the flower) of this orchid.

Where It Lives

This type of leek orchid grows in grassy woodlands. It is found at heights of about 630 m (2,000 ft) above sea level, near Inverell. It is only known from one group of plants growing in soil that comes from basalt, which is a type of volcanic rock.