Prasophyllum helophilum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tan leek orchid |
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Prasophyllum helophilum, often called the Tan Leek Orchid, is a special type of orchid. It is found only in New South Wales, Australia. This plant has a single green leaf that looks like a tube. It also grows up to twenty-five purplish-white and brown flowers. You can find it in wet, swampy places, especially on the Central Tablelands.
What Does the Tan Leek Orchid Look Like?
The Tan Leek Orchid is a terrestrial plant, meaning it grows in the ground. It is a perennial herb, which means it lives for many years. It has an underground tuber, like a small potato, that helps it store food.
This orchid grows a single, dark green leaf. The leaf is shaped like a tube and can be about 150 to 450 mm (6 to 18 in) long. It is usually 2 to 6 mm (0.08 to 0.2 in) wide.
Between ten and twenty-five flowers grow close together on a stem. This flowering stem is about 40 to 70 mm (1.6 to 2.8 in) long. The flowers are purplish-white, brown, and white. Each flower is about 6 to 8 mm (0.2 to 0.3 in) wide.
Like other orchids in its group, the flowers of Prasophyllum helophilum are unusual. They are inverted, meaning they are upside down. This makes the labellum (the orchid's special lip petal) appear above the column (the central part of the flower) instead of below it.
The top sepal (a leaf-like part protecting the flower bud) is elliptic or egg-shaped. It is about 6 mm (0.2 in) long and 3 mm (0.1 in) wide. It has three thin, dark lines. The side sepals are linear or lance-shaped. They are about 7 mm (0.3 in) long and 2 mm (0.08 in) wide. These side sepals are mostly joined together.
The petals are linear in shape, about 8 mm (0.3 in) long and 1 to 2 mm (0.04 to 0.08 in) wide. The labellum is white and mostly oblong. It is 7 to 8.5 mm (0.28 to 0.33 in) long and 3.5 to 4 mm (0.14 to 0.16 in) wide. It sharply bends upwards near its middle. The edges of the labellum are wavy. There is also a yellowish-green and dark green callus (a raised area) in its center.
This orchid usually flowers in January and February.
How This Orchid Got Its Name
Prasophyllum helophilum was first officially described in 2006. This was done by two botanists, David Jones and Dean Rouse. They published their description in a scientific journal called Australian Orchid Research. The plant they studied was collected near the Kowmung River in the Kanangra-Boyd National Park.
The second part of its scientific name, helophilum, comes from ancient Greek words. Helos means "marsh" or "meadow," and -philum means "loving." So, helophilum means "marsh-loving." This name perfectly describes where this orchid likes to grow: in marshy or swampy areas.
Where to Find the Tan Leek Orchid
This special leek orchid grows in specific areas of New South Wales. You can find it on the Boyd Plateau within the Kanangra-Boyd National Park. It also grows on Mount Werong, which is in the southern part of the Blue Mountains National Park.
