Mountain leek orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mountain leek orchid |
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| Prasophyllum montanum growing in Namadgi National Park | |
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The mountain leek orchid (scientific name: Prasophyllum montanum) is a special type of orchid. It grows only in eastern Australia, meaning it is endemic to that area. This plant has a single green leaf shaped like a tube. It can grow up to fifty flowers that smell nice and are greenish to pinkish in color. You can find this orchid in mountain areas that are very high up, usually above 1,500 meters (about 4,900 feet).
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What the Mountain Leek Orchid Looks Like
The mountain leek orchid is a perennial plant, which means it lives for more than two years. It's also a deciduous herb, so its leaves might fall off in some seasons. This orchid has a special underground tuber (like a small potato) and one long, tube-shaped leaf. The leaf can be about 50 to 70 centimeters (20 to 28 inches) long and 8 to 10 millimeters (0.3 to 0.4 inches) wide at its purplish base.
Flowers and Their Features
Each plant can have between ten and fifty flowers. These flowers are packed closely together on a flowering spike that is about 5 to 15 centimeters (2 to 6 inches) long. The flowers are usually greenish to pinkish and measure about 8 to 10 millimeters (0.3 to 0.4 inches) wide. They also have a pleasant smell.
A cool thing about these orchids is that their flowers are upside down! In most flowers, the labellum (a special lip-like petal) is at the bottom. But in the mountain leek orchid, the labellum is at the top, above the column (the part that holds the reproductive organs).
Let's look at the parts of the flower:
- The dorsal sepal (the top leaf-like part) is shaped like an egg or a spear. It is about 9 to 15 millimeters (0.35 to 0.6 inches) long and 3 to 4 millimeters (0.12 to 0.16 inches) wide.
- The lateral sepals (the two side leaf-like parts) are green. They are about 10 to 15 millimeters (0.4 to 0.6 inches) long and about 2 millimeters (0.08 inches) wide. They are joined together for about half their length.
- The petals are green or purplish and spread out wide. They are thin and spear-shaped, about 8 to 12 millimeters (0.3 to 0.5 inches) long and about 2 millimeters (0.08 inches) wide.
- The labellum (the special lip) is white or pinkish-purple. It's broadly egg-shaped or like an arrow-head, about 7 to 9 millimeters (0.28 to 0.35 inches) long and 4 to 5 millimeters (0.16 to 0.2 inches) wide. It turns upwards and has a slightly wavy edge.
- There's also a greenish, raised part called a callus in the middle of the labellum.
This orchid usually blooms, or flowers, from December to February.
How the Mountain Leek Orchid Got Its Name
The mountain leek orchid was officially described and named in 1991. Two botanists, Robert Bates and David Jones, first described it. They found a sample of the plant at Mount Franklin in the Australian Capital Territory.
The scientific name, Prasophyllum montanum, has a special meaning. The second part of the name, montanum, comes from a Latin word. It means "of mountains." This name was chosen because the orchid naturally grows in mountain areas.
Where the Mountain Leek Orchid Lives
You can find the mountain leek orchid growing in high places. It often lives on dry, rocky ridges or within forests. It prefers altitudes above 1,500 meters (about 4,900 feet).
This orchid is found in the mountain regions of the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales. It grows south from the Brindabella Range. You can also find it in the northern part of Victoria.
