Prasophyllum catenemum

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Prasophyllum catenemum is a leek orchid found only along a small stretch of the South Australian coast. It grows in shrubland that is often blown by wind and covered by shifting sand dunes. The plant is a terrestrial, perennial herb with an underground tuber and a single shiny pale-green, tube-shaped leaf. A short flowering stalk carries up to twenty lemon-scented flowers that are white with green to purplish markings. The flowers are inverted, so the labellum sits above the column. The bloom period is September to October. It was described in 2006 by David Jones from a specimen near Streaky Bay. The name catenemum comes from Greek for “wind-blown,” referring to its windy habitat. It occurs between Streaky Bay and Smoky Bay in coastal shrubland among moving sand dunes.