NEW SOUTH WALES FLORA ONLINE

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Description: Terrestrial herb, 30–40 cm high, growing singly.

Leaf 25–35 cm long, 3–4 mm wide, dark green, shiny.

Inflorescence a spike 7–12 cm long, 10–20-flowered, well-spaced. Flowers reddish brown or pale yellow to yellow, thin-textured. Dorsal sepal ovate-lanceolate, 6.5–7.5 mm long. Lateral sepals 7–8.5 mm long, parallel. Lateral petals linear, 8–9 mm long, apex shortly apiculate. Labellum 7–7.5 mm long and 3.5–4.0 mm wide, ovate-lanceolate when flattened, lamina strongly recurved, margins crisped to crenulate. Callus plate whitish green, extending almost to the apex of the lamina. Column with wings oblong; rostellum slightly higher than column wings.

Capsules not seen.

Flowering: November–December

Distribution and occurrence: Only known from a single location on the Carrai Plateau, North Coast.

In wet heath dominated by low shrubs on moist sandy loams derived from granite.
NSW subdivisions: NC

AVH map***

Prasophyllum copelandii is a member of the P. fuscum species flock, and critical comparison with other members of this flock including P. caudiculum and P. rogersii employing population genetic data is required. Described as allied to P. rogersii, but differing by its colourful flowers (reddish brown tepals with yellowish margins and a pale yellow to yellow labellum lamina with a darker greenish yellow to yellow callus (P. rogersii has green or orange-brown to reddish brown tepals and a tan or orange labellum lamina with a green callus), dorsal sepal with an extended apiculus (no apiculus in P. rogersii), smaller, flatter labellum callus (large, deeply-channelled callus in P. rogersii with strongly raised and thickened distal margins), strongly incurved column wings.