Prasophyllum calcicola
Prasophyllum calcicola, commonly known as limestone leek orchid, 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
Prasophyllum calcicola is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single smooth, tube-shaped leaf which is long and about 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 long and 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 long, wide and green with a red edge. The lateral sepals are lance-shaped, long and joined to each other for about half their length. The petals are triangular in shape, about long and wide. The labellum is long, oblong to lance-shaped and turns upward at 90° about half-way along. Flowering occurs in September and October.
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. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin words calx meaning "limestone" and -cola meaning "dweller", referring to the usual habitat of this species.
Distribution and habitat
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.
Conservation
This orchid is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.