Laughing leek orchid facts for kids

The laughing leek orchid, also known as Prasophyllum macrostachyum, is a special type of orchid. It is found only in the south-west part of Western Australia. This unique plant has a single smooth leaf shaped like a tube. It also grows up to thirty flowers that are yellowish-green and purple. Unlike many other leek orchids in Western Australia, this one doesn't need summer fires to grow. It also blooms for a very long time.

What the Laughing Leek Orchid Looks Like

The laughing leek orchid is a plant that grows from the ground and lives for many years. It has an underground tuber, which is like a small storage part. From this tuber, a single leaf grows. This leaf is shaped like a tube, about 120 to 200 mm (5-8 inches) long. It's about 2 mm (0.08 inches) wide near its reddish base.

The plant produces a flowering stem that can be up to 180 mm (7 inches) long. This stem reaches a height of 100 to 300 mm (4-12 inches). Along this stem, you can find between five and thirty flowers. These flowers are green and purplish-red. Each flower is about 8 mm (0.3 inches) long and 6 mm (0.2 inches) wide.

Like other orchids in its group, the flowers of the laughing leek orchid are upside down. This means the labellum, which is a special lip-like petal, is above the column (the central part of the flower) instead of below it. The main part of the flower that holds seeds, called the ovary, is oval-shaped and about 15 mm (0.6 inches) long when it's fully grown.

The top petal, called the dorsal sepal, is egg-shaped. It is 3-4 mm (0.1-0.2 inches) long and green with red edges. The side petals, called lateral sepals, are also egg-shaped or spear-shaped. They are 3-4 mm long and joined together for about two-thirds of their length. The other petals are quite small, only about 2 mm (0.08 inches) long. They are somewhat triangular and have purplish edges. The labellum is purplish and turns sharply upwards in the middle. This orchid flowers from September to January.

How the Orchid Got Its Name

The scientific name for this orchid, Prasophyllum macrostachyum, was first officially described in 1810. This was done by a botanist named Robert Brown. The description was published in a book called Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen.

The second part of its name, macrostachyum, comes from two Ancient Greek words. "Makros" means "long," and "stachys" means "an ear of grain" or "a spike." This name refers to the orchid's long flowering stem.

Where the Laughing Leek Orchid Lives

The laughing leek orchid grows in areas that get very wet during winter. It often grows among shrubs and sedges (grass-like plants). You can find this orchid in Western Australia, in an area stretching from Dongara all the way to Cape Le Grand National Park.

Protecting the Laughing Leek Orchid

The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has looked at the laughing leek orchid. They have classified it as "not threatened." This means that, for now, there are enough of these orchids, and they are not in danger of disappearing.