Prasophyllum elatum
R.Br. Tall Leek-orchidFlowering stem robust, 40–150 cm tall, purple-black to greenish. Leaf-blade to 100 cm long, rigid, wholly dark-purple to green. Flowers numerous, purple-brown to greenish and white, appressed to the rachis of the narrow 5–40 cm long spike; ovary elongate, cylindric, to 12 mm long, closely appressed to the rachis; sepals 8–12 mm long, lateral sepals united, erect, rather flat, ovate-lanceolate; petals falcate-lanceolate, to 10 mm long. Labellum erect, ovate, pale white or pinkish, only slightly recurved, crenulate and crisped in apical half; callus plate ovate, greenish, shortly obtuse, with ridged margins. Column appendages falcate-lanceolate, 4–5 mm long. Flowers Sep.–Dec.
LoM, MuM, Wim, GleP, Brid, VVP, VRiv, GipP, OtP, CVU, GGr, DunT, EGL, EGU, WPro, HSF, HNF, OtR, Strz. All States except NT. Found in forest, woodland, heath and mallee-heathland. Flowers Sep.-Dec. Widely scattered, mostly across southern Victoria in open forests, heathy forests and heathlands in well-drained sandy soils.
Flowering is observed more often after fires.
The tallest terrestrial orchid in Victoria.
Purple-black and green plants often occur together in about equal numbers.
Prasophyllum elatum is closely related to P. flavum, which has a much shorter leaf-blade, yellower flowers and incurved labellum margins. Prasophyllum elatum also flowers earlier, forms larger populations and lacks the powerful fragrance of P. flavum.
Bates, R.J. (1994). Prasophyllum. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 2, Ferns and Allied Plants, Conifers and Monocotyledons, pp. 869–886. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
Spinning
