Prasophyllum montanum, commonly known as the mountain leek orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to eastern Australia. It has a single tubular, green leaf and up to fifty scented, greenish to pinkish flowers. It grows in montane ecosystems at altitudes above 1500sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1.
Prasophyllum montanum is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single tube-shaped leaf, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide at its purplish base. Between ten and fifty fragrant flowers are crowded along a flowering spike NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long. The flowers are greenish to pinkish, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. As with others in the genus, the flowers are inverted so that the labellum is above the column rather than below it. The dorsal sepal is egg-shaped to lance-shaped, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The lateral sepals are green, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long, about 2sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and joined to each other for about half their length. The petals are green or purplish, linear to lance-shaped, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long, about 2sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and spread widely. The labellum is white or pinkish-purple, broadly egg-shaped or arrow-head shaped, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long, NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide, turns upwards and has a slightly wavy edge. There is a greenish, raised callus in the centre of the labellum. Flowering occurs from December to February.[1] [2]
Prasophyllum montanum was first formally described in 1991 by Robert Bates and David Jones from a specimen collected at Mount Franklin in the Australian Capital Territory and the description was published in Australian Orchid Research.[3] The specific epithet (montanum) is a Latin word meaning "of mountains"[4] referring the habitat of this species.
The mountain leek orchid grows on dry rocky ridges or in forest, usually above 1500sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1. It is found in montane regions of the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales south from the Brindabella Range, and in northern Victoria.