Prasophyllum candidum

Prasophyllum candidum is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous herb with an underground tuber and a single tube-shaped, yellowish-green leaf which is 200–400 mm (8–20 in) long and 8–22 mm (0.3–0.9 in) wide. Up to forty fragrant, bright white to greenish flowers are densely crowded along a flowering spike which is 60–100 mm (2–4 in) long. As with other leek orchids, the flowers are inverted so that the labellum is above the column rather than below it. The dorsal sepal is linear to egg-shaped, 8–12 mm (0.3–0.5 in) long, about 4 mm (0.2 in) wide and curves inwards. The lateral sepals are linear to lance-shaped, 8–12 mm (0.3–0.5 in) long, about 2.5 mm (0.1 in) wide and spread widely apart from each other. The petals are linear to lance-shaped, 8–10.5 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long, about 3 mm (0.1 in) wide and have a dark central stripe. The labellum is oblong to egg-shaped, 9–12 mm (0.4–0.5 in) long, 6–7 mm (0.24–0.28 in) wide, turns upwards and reaches above the lateral sepals. The edges of the labellum are very ruffled and there is a yellowish-green, grooved callus in its centre. Flowering occurs from December to early February.

This leek orchid grows in sub-alpine grassland above 1,000 m (3,000 ft) in south-western New South Wales and Victoria. The Victorian Herbarium considers this species to be a form of P. odoratum.

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