Corunastylis nuda
Red Leek Orchid

PLANT: Terrestrial tuberous herb.
5 to 30cm high. Stem 1-3 mm in diameter, tubular. Dark greenish-red. Sheaths of old scale leaves persist at the base of the stem, enclosing the current tuber and remains of previous tubers.

LEAVES: Single. Rush-like. Wraps around the stem. Leaf tip inconspicuous, below the flowers.

FLOWERS: Raceme of 5 to 25 closely spaced flowers that barely open. Each 3 - 5mm in length. Labellum uppermost, so that the flower appears upside-down. Sepals and petals red or reddish-green. Labellum red with a finely ciliate margin. Lateral sepals longer than the petals, shortly fused together at the base.

FLOWERING TIME: January - May.

HABITAT: Poor clay soils amongst scrub, roadside banks.
Occasionally in sphagnum and peat swamps.

CONSERVATION STATUS: At Risk - Naturally Uncommon.

NOTES: Previously classed as Prasophyllum and Genoplesium.