Prasophyllum nitidum
D.L.Jones & R.J.Bates Shining Leek-orchidFlowering stem slender, to c. 40 cm tall, green, sometimes tinged purplish. Leaf-blade 10–25 cm long, 3–4 mm diam. at base, erect, free for c. 2–5 cm, apex senescent at flowering. Flowers fragrant, 5–20, widely opening, overall mostly deep pink, maroon or purple, in loose raceme c. 3–7 cm long; ovary sessile, obovoid, 5–7 mm long; sepals 5–8 mm long, dorsal sepal ovate-lanceolate, acute, shining, usually held more or less horizontally, lateral sepals free for the greater part, linear-lanceolate, parallel to slightly divergent, recurved, apex entire; petals oblong, 5–6 mm long, spreading. Labellum sessile, ovate-oblong, 5–6 mm long, strongly recurved near middle, apex near vertical or slightly further recurved, purple or maroon, channelled, proximal margin entire, distal margin crenulate and shortly ciliate; callus ovate-oblong, c. 2 mm long, raised, narrowing distally and extending beyond labellum bend, darker than labellum lamina, shining, smooth centrally with papillate margins. Column appendages narrowly oblong, c. 1 mm long, white or pinkish near margins. Flowers Sep.–Oct.
Wim. Also occurs SA. In Victoria, known from near Edenhope, occurring in woodlands developed on relatively fertile, water retentive soils.
Closely related to the South Australian Prasophyllum fitzgeraldii, but that species is generally larger with paler, non-glossy flowers and callus plate and column appendages of different structure.
True Prasophyllum fitzgeraldii, as represented by the type specimen from the Lofty Ranges, S.Aust., in not believed to occur in Victoria.
Spinning