Prasophyllum elegantissimum
Common names
manawa wairepo, elegant leek orchid
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Orchids
Flower colours
Green, Yellow, Brown
Detailed description
Terrestrial, glabrescent, rather fleshy, perennial herb. Plant at flowering 16–60 cm tall. Stem erect and fleshy. Leaf 14–50 × 0.3–0.5 cm sheathing, terete, apex acute, often overtopping raceme, distal end withered when flowering. Raceme 5–12 cm, with 8–20 flowers. Floral bracts ovate, apex acuminate, 2–5 × 1.3–1.5 mm; rarely most-basal bract oblong and 7 × 3 mm. Ovary obovate, green-maroon, 5–10.5 × 2–4 mm. Perianth green-maroon. Dorsal sepal recurved, ovate, apiculate, 4–6.5 × 2–2.5 mm. Lateral sepals 5–6 × 1.2–1.5 mm, green, connate at the base, lanceolate, involute and fleshy near distal end, apex acute. Petals 4–6 × 1.2–1.6 mm, green-maroon, linear-oblong, apex obtuse to acuminate. Labellum 3 × 2 mm, green-maroon, ovate, margin entire, smooth to undulate, apex strongly recurved, proximal end forming a nectary pit followed by a thickened green callus that runs along the centre of the labellum from the pit edge to near the apex. Column wings bilobed, the longest lobe slightly shorter or longer than the anther.
Similar taxa
Prasophyllum colensoi is very similar in height, structure and colour. P. elegantissimum has an overall more elegant, fine featured looking flower. The best feature to easily distiguish the species is the dorsal sepal, in P. colensoi the tip is acute, compared to the apiculate tip seen in P. elegantissimum.
Prasophyllum hectorii is generally a taller plant, up to 1 metre. The labellum margin of P. hectorii is notably undulose, compared to the slight wavy labellum margins of P. elegantissimum and P. colensoi (generally towards the tip only). P. hectorii prefers to grow partially submerged in (acidic wetlands) water.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: North Island, South Island, Stewart Island/Rakiura, Auckland Island.
Habitat
Lowland to sub-alpine wetlands or damp areas.
Interim conservation status
Please note, conservation statuses are often proposed by authors of newly described taxa when they are published between NZTCS assessment periods. If such proposed conservation statuses are consistent with the criteria of the NZTCS, they are presented here as ‘interim’ statuses in accordance with the NZTCS manual, whilst acknowledging that they have not been formally assessed by the NZTCS panel.
2025 | Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable | Qualifiers: DPS, DPT, Sp | Interim | Lehnebach et al. (2025)
Threats
Wetland modification and destruction by anthropocentric means. Lehnebach et al. (2025) proposed a threat status of ‘Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable (NVu3i) with the qualifiers DPS (Data Poor Size), DPT (Data Poor Trend), Sp (Biologically Sparse)’ using Rolfe et al. (2022). They estimated that the population occupies an area of 10–100 ha and is expected to continue to decline 10–30% over the next 10 years because of continuing pressures on its wetland habitats.
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Taxonomic notes
This species was noted as Prasophyllum “B” by Irwin (2001). Another entity was suggested to exist, however the Lehnebach (2025) study dismisses that after examining the DNA of specimens and the morphology of live plants, electronic and herbarium specimens.
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
December–February
Fruiting
January–April
Other information
Etymology
prasophyllum: From the Greek ‘prasos’ leek and phyllos ‘leaf’
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
de Lange PJ, Gosden J, Courtney SP, Fergus AJ, Barkla JW, Beadel SM, Champion PD, Hindmarsh-Walls R, Makan T, Michel P. 2024. Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. Wellington: Department of Conservation. 105 p.
Irwin B. 2001. Making identifications more difficult. New Zealand Native Orchid Group Journal 79: 8–11).
Lehnebach CA, Alderton-Moss J., Shepherd LD. 2025. A new species of Prasophyllum (Orchidaceae) for New Zealand and lectotypification of P. colensoi. New Zealand Journal of Botany 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/0028825X.2025.2454582.
Rolfe J, Hitchmough R, Michel P, Makan T, Cooper JA, de Lange PJ, Townsend CAJ, Miskelly CM, Molloy J. 2022. New Zealand threat classification system manual 2022. Part 1: assessments. Wellington: Department of Conservation. 45 p.
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Matt Ward, description provided by Carlos Lehnebach—subsequently published in Lehnebach et. al. (2025).
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: Ward, M.D. (Year at time of access): Prasophyllum elegantissimum Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/prasophyllum-elegantissimum/ (Date website was queried)