Pungent leek orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pungent leek orchid |
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The Prasophyllum olidum, also called the pungent leek orchid, is a special type of orchid. It grows only in Tasmania, which means it is endemic there. This orchid has a single leaf that looks like a tube and is green or yellowish-green. It can grow up to thirty bright green or brownish-green flowers.
This orchid is very rare. It has only been found in one place. The number of flowering plants changes a lot, from just three to as many as two hundred, depending on the weather.
What Does It Look Like?
The pungent leek orchid is a plant that lives on land. It is a perennial plant, meaning it lives for more than two years. It is also deciduous, so it loses its leaves at certain times. This plant is a herb with a special underground part called a tuber, which stores food.
It has one leaf that is shaped like a tube. This leaf is green to yellowish-green and can be 200 to 450 mm (about 8 to 18 inches) long. It is about 3 to 5 mm (about 0.1 to 0.2 inches) wide near its reddish base.
The orchid produces a flowering spike that is 60 to 120 mm (about 2 to 5 inches) long. On this spike, ten to thirty bright green to brownish-green flowers grow close together. Each flower is 14 to 16 mm (about 0.5 to 0.6 inches) long and 7 to 9 mm (about 0.3 inches) wide.
Like other leek orchids, its flowers are upside down. This means the labellum (a special lip-like petal) is above the column (the part that holds the reproductive organs), instead of below it.
The top sepal (a leaf-like part that protects the flower bud) is shaped like a spear or an egg. It is 7 to 10 mm (about 0.3 to 0.4 inches) long and 3 to 4 mm (about 0.1 inches) wide. This sepal points downwards. The side sepals are thin and straight, 8 to 10 mm (about 0.3 to 0.4 inches) long and about 2 mm (about 0.08 inches) wide. They are separate from each other.
The petals are narrow and spear-shaped, 7 to 9 mm (about 0.3 inches) long and about 1 mm (about 0.04 inches) wide. The labellum is 6 to 8 mm (about 0.2 to 0.3 inches) long and 3 to 4 mm (about 0.1 inches) wide. It bends sharply upwards in the middle. The edges of the bent-up part of the labellum are slightly wavy. There is a thick, fleshy green bump called a callus in its center.
These orchids usually flower in late November and December.
How Did It Get Its Name?
The Prasophyllum olidum was first officially described in 1998. It was named by a botanist named David Jones. He found a sample of the plant near Campbell Town. The description was then published in a scientific book called Australian Orchid Research.
The second part of its scientific name, olidum, comes from a Latin word. This Latin word means "smelling" or "odorous," which is why it's called the "pungent leek orchid."
Where Does It Live?
The pungent leek orchid grows in natural grasslands. It lives in an area near Campbell Town in Tasmania. This area is about 200 meters (about 656 feet) above sea level.
Why Is It Endangered?
The Prasophyllum olidum is only found in a small part of one private property. The number of these orchids changes a lot depending on how much rain there is. For example, in 1995, there were about 200 plants. But in 2011, after a dry winter, there were only three plants left.
Because it is so rare and its numbers can drop so low, this orchid is considered "Endangered" under Tasmania's Threatened Species Protection Act 1995. It is also listed as Critically Endangered by the Australian government under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC) Act. This means it is at a very high risk of disappearing forever.
The biggest dangers to this orchid are:
- Habitat disturbance: This means its natural home is being damaged or changed.
- Inappropriate fire regimes: This refers to fires that happen too often, not often enough, or at the wrong time, which can harm the plants.
