Prasophyllum exile facts for kids

Prasophyllum exile is a special type of orchid that only grows in a small part of eastern Australia. It has a single green leaf that looks like a tube. Its flowers are green, purplish-brown, or white, and they have a nice smell. The flowers also have a white part called a labellum. This orchid is quite similar to another one called P. brevilabre. People used to think Prasophyllum exile was just a thinner version of P. brevilabre with fewer flowers.

What Prasophyllum exile Looks Like

Prasophyllum exile is a plant that grows in the ground. It is a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It is also deciduous, which means some parts fall off during certain seasons. This orchid has an underground tuber, which is like a small, swollen stem that stores food.

It grows a single leaf that looks like a thin tube. This leaf can be up to 60–120 mm (2–5 in) long and 2 mm (0.08 in) wide. The bottom part of the leaf is often purplish.

The plant produces a flower spike that can grow up to 200 mm (8 in) tall. Along this spike, there are usually two to ten flowers. These flowers are spaced out nicely. They can be greenish or purplish-brown and white.

Like other orchids in its group, the flowers of Prasophyllum exile are upside down. This means the labellum (a special lip-like petal) is above the column (the central part of the flower) instead of below it.

Each flower has different parts:

• The top sepal, called the dorsal sepal, is shaped like a line or an egg. It is about 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) long and 2 mm (0.08 in) wide.
• The side sepals, called lateral sepals, are 5–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long and 1 mm (0.04 in) wide. They are joined together for most of their length.
• The petals are thin and long, about 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) long. Their ends are slightly wavy.
• The labellum is white and shaped like a rectangle. It is 5–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long and 3 mm (0.1 in) wide. It bends back on itself, so its tip almost touches its base. The edges of the labellum are wavy.
• In the middle of the labellum, there is a shiny, greenish part called a callus. It can be shaped like a line or an egg.

This orchid usually blooms from June to early September.

How Prasophyllum exile Got Its Name

This orchid was officially described for the first time in 1991. It was named by two botanists, David Jones and Robert Bates. They found a sample of the plant near a place called Torbanlea. Their description was published in a research book called Australian Orchid Research.

The second part of its scientific name, exilis, comes from a Latin word. This word means "thin, slender, meager, or weak." This name was chosen because the plant itself looks quite thin and delicate. Before 1991, people thought this orchid was just a thinner version of another orchid, P. brevilabre.

The first part of the name, Prasophyllum, comes from Ancient Greek words. The way these words are used means the second part of the name, exile, also needs to be in a certain grammatical form. So, the correct full name is Prasophyllum exile.

Where Prasophyllum exile Lives

Prasophyllum exile likes to grow in damp, grassy areas. You can find it in forests and woodlands near the coast. It lives in a region that stretches from Cudgen in the far north-eastern part of New South Wales up to south-eastern Queensland.