Citation: R. Rogers, Trans. R. Soc. S. Aust. 33:216 (1909).

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: Fitzgeralds leek-orchid.

Description:
Small and slender to quite stout, 10-45 cm high.

Flowers spreading, sessile or almost so, prevailing tints prune-colour and green, very fragrant; ovary turgid; expansion beginning in the middle of the spike, extending upwards and downwards; dorsal sepal broadly lanceolate, 6-8 mm long, greenish, flat, retracted, recurved at the very acute apex in the mature flower; lateral sepals lanceolate, 6-8 mm long, dull-green, free in the mature flower; petals bluntly linear, c. 4-5 mm long, green with a dark-red longitudinal stripe, slightly divergent; labellum ovate, subacute, c. 4.5 x c. 3 mm, prune-coloured, sessile, slightly contracted at the base; recurved almost at right angles about the middle; erect portion with entire margins, rather bulging; recurved portion broadly triangular with much crisped borders; callose portion a deep prune-colour, not very conspicuous in the basal half, becoming more raised and pubescent at the bend and ending abruptly near the tip; membranous part of lighter hue and rather smaller extent; anther reddish-brown with a rather blunt point, erect but recurved after removal of the pollinia; rostellum about the same height as the lateral appendages and rather higher than the anther; pollinia 2, vertically 2-lobed; caudicle rather short; column short, less than 1 mm long; appendages membranous, very wide, with truncate tips, quadrangular or almost so with a basal lobe reaching to the middle, only adnate to the sides of the stigmatic-plate at the extreme base; stigma wide, almost rectangular.

Distribution:  Occurs singly or in small groups in sand or gravelly soils or on limestone, in forest, heathland or mallee-heathland in areas receiving greater than 500 mm mean annual rainfall. S.Aust.: FR, EP, NL, MU, YP, SL, SE. Conservation status: native Flowering time: Sept. — Nov.

SA Distribution Map based on current data relating to specimens held in the State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: This is a variable species with at least two distinct forms, the larger one with perianth-segments greater than 6 mm, petals lanceolate, labellum callus hardly raised, shortly pubescent, or with minor bare areas, and the other smaller form with perianth-segments less than 5 mm long, the petals triangular, labellum callus much raised, smooth or with minor pubescence about its border. Where they are sympatric the smaller form flowers earlier and no intermediates have been located. The larger form is widespread in a variety of habitats the smaller form is restricted to drier often alkaline soils and appears to be apomictic.

Author: Not yet available