Prasophyllum calcicola
| Limestone leek orchid | |
|---|---|
| |
| Near Esperance | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Orchidoideae |
| Tribe: | Diurideae |
| Genus: | Prasophyllum |
| Species: | P. calcicola
|
| Binomial name | |
| Prasophyllum calcicola | |
Prasophyllum calcicola, commonly known as limestone leek orchid,[2] is a species of orchid endemic to Australia. It has a single, smooth, tube-shaped leaf and up to twelve yellowish-green flowers on an erect flowering stem. It is found in coastal areas of Western Australia and South Australia growing on soils derived from limestone.
Description[edit]
Prasophyllum calcicola is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single smooth, tube-shaped leaf which is 50–150 mm (2–6 in) long and about 2 mm (0.08 in) in diameter near the reddish base. Between three and twelve or more flowers are arranged on a flowering spike. The flowers are yellowish-green, about 4 mm (0.2 in) long and 3 mm (0.1 in) wide. As with others in the genus, the flowers are inverted so that the labellum is above the column rather than below it. The dorsal sepal is egg-shaped to lance-shaped, about 2 mm (0.08 in) long, 2–3 mm (0.08–0.1 in) wide and green with a red edge. The lateral sepals are lance-shaped, 2–4 mm (0.08–0.2 in) long and joined to each other for about half their length. The petals are triangular in shape, about 2 mm (0.08 in) long and 1 mm (0.04 in) wide. The labellum is 2–3 mm (0.08–0.1 in) long, oblong to lance-shaped and turns upward at 90° about half-way along. Flowering occurs in September and October.[3][4][5]
Taxonomy and naming[edit]
Prasophyllum calcicola was first formally described in 1989 by Robert Bates and the description was published in Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Garden from a specimen he collected in the Warrenben Conservation Park.[3][6] The specific epithet (calcicola) is derived from the Latin words calx meaning "limestone"[7]: 205 and -cola meaning "dweller",[7]: 478 referring to the usual habitat of this species.[5]
Distribution and habitat[edit]
The limestone leek orchid grows in coastal areas in calcareous sand and near limestone. It occurs between north of Geraldton and Israelite Bay in Western Australia and in the south-east of South Australia.[2][4][5]
Conservation[edit]
This orchid is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.[2]
References[edit]
- ^ "Prasophyllum calcicola". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
- ^ a b c "Prasophyllum calcicola". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
- ^ a b Bates, Robert John (1989). "Prasophyllum calcicola, P. macrostachyum and P. ringens (Orchidaceae): three similar species from Western and southern Australia" (PDF). Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Garden. 11 (2): 179–182. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
- ^ a b Hoffman, Noel; Brown, Andrew (2011). Orchids of South-West Australia (3rd ed.). Gooseberry Hill: Noel Hoffman. p. 358. ISBN 9780646562322.
- ^ a b c Brown, Andrew; Dundas, Pat; Dixon, Kingsley; Hopper, Stephen (2008). Orchids of Western Australia. Crawley, Western Australia: University of Western Australia Press. p. 324. ISBN 9780980296457.
- ^ "Prasophyllum calcicola". APNI. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
- ^ a b Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.