Prasophyllum incurvum facts for kids

Prasophyllum incurvum is a special type of orchid that only grows in Tasmania, Australia. It's sometimes called a "leek orchid" because its single leaf looks a bit like a leek! This plant has beautiful brownish-green, white, and purplish flowers. It's quite similar to another orchid called P. alpestre, but Prasophyllum incurvum has bigger flowers and its petals curve forward in a unique way.

What Does It Look Like?

Prasophyllum incurvum is a plant that grows from an underground tuber (like a small potato). It's a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It's also deciduous, so it loses its leaves at certain times.

It has one bright green, tube-shaped leaf. This leaf can be from 150 to 350 millimeters (about 6 to 14 inches) long. It is usually 3 to 5 millimeters (about 0.1 to 0.2 inches) wide.

The Flowers

Each plant can have between five and forty flowers. These flowers are brownish-green, white, and purplish. They grow closely together on a tall stem called a flowering spike. This spike can be 30 to 90 millimeters (about 1 to 3.5 inches) long.

The flowers themselves are 7 to 12 millimeters (about 0.3 to 0.5 inches) wide. Like other leek orchids, their flowers are "inverted." This means the labellum (a special lip-like petal) is above the column (the central part of the flower) instead of below it.

• The top petal, called the dorsal sepal, is shaped like a spear or narrow egg. It's 7 to 9 millimeters long and about 3 millimeters wide. It often has three to five darker stripes.
• The two side petals, called lateral sepals, are long and narrow. They are 8 to 10 millimeters long and about 2 millimeters wide. They grow separately from each other.
• The other petals are narrow and oblong. They are 8 to 10 millimeters long and about 2 millimeters wide. They are purplish near their base and curve strongly forward.
• The labellum is white and oblong. It is 8.5 to 10.5 millimeters long and 4 to 5 millimeters wide. It bends sharply upwards in the middle. The edges of this upturned part are slightly wavy. There's also a yellowish-green, raised area called a callus in its center.

This orchid usually flowers from January to March.

How It Got Its Name

The scientific name Prasophyllum incurvum was first officially given in 1998. It was named by a botanist named David Jones. He found a specimen (a sample plant) near a place called Liawenee. The description was then published in a science book called Australian Orchid Research.

The second part of its name, incurvum, comes from a Latin word. It means "incurved" or "curved inwards." This name was chosen because the petals of this orchid curve forward in a special way.

Where It Lives

This leek orchid likes to grow in moist grasslands. You can mostly find it in montane areas, which are high-up, mountainous regions. It is common in the Central Plateau of Tasmania. However, it can also be found in some areas further south in Tasmania.