Sandplain leek orchid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Inland leek orchid |
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The Inland Leek Orchid (Prasophyllum campestre) is a special type of orchid. It is also called the sandplain leek orchid. This plant grows only in eastern Australia, meaning it is endemic there. It has one long, tube-shaped leaf that is yellowish-green. The plant can grow up to twenty flowers. These flowers are usually greenish and have a strong smell. They might also have marks of red, purple, brown, or white. You can find this orchid in the drier areas of Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria.
What the Inland Leek Orchid Looks Like
The Prasophyllum campestre is a plant that grows from an underground tuber. It is a perennial plant, which means it lives for more than two years. It is also deciduous, so it loses its leaves at certain times. This plant has one tube-shaped, yellowish-green leaf. The bottom part of the leaf is reddish. This leaf can be about 80 to 350 mm long and 5 to 8 mm wide at its base.
The plant grows a tall stem, called a flowering spike. This spike can be 100 to 400 mm tall. Along this spike, ten to twenty flowers grow. These flowers are very fragrant, meaning they smell strongly. They are greenish and can have red, purple, brown, or white marks. Each flower is about 9 to 11 mm wide.
Like other orchids in its group, the flowers of the Inland Leek Orchid are upside down. This means the labellum (a special petal) is above the column (the part with pollen) instead of below it. The top petal, called the dorsal sepal, is shaped like a spear. It is about 8 to 12 mm long and 3 mm wide. The side petals, called lateral sepals, are 7 to 10 mm long and about 1.5 mm wide. They are separate from each other and spread out.
The other petals are thin and straight, about 7 to 11 mm long and 1 mm wide. The labellum is shaped like a spear or an egg. It is 6 to 9 mm long and about 4 mm wide. The end of the labellum turns upwards at a 90-degree angle. Its edges are wavy. There is also a thick, greenish part in the middle of the labellum called a callus. These orchids usually flower in September and October.
How the Inland Leek Orchid Got Its Name
The Prasophyllum campestre was officially described in 1991. Two botanists, Robert Bates and David Jones, first described it. They found a sample of the plant near a place called Nymagee. Their description was then published in a book called Australian Orchid Research.
The second part of its scientific name, campestre, comes from a Latin word. This Latin word means "of or relating to fields." This name was chosen because the orchid often grows in open, field-like areas.
Where the Inland Leek Orchid Lives
The Inland Leek Orchid grows in areas that are semi-arid. This means these places are quite dry but not completely deserts. It prefers soil that is rich and can hold water well. You can find this orchid in the inland parts of southern Queensland, New South Wales, and northern Victoria.
