Summer leek orchid

Prasophyllum canaliculatum is a terrestrial, perennial, deciduous, herb with an underground tuber and a single tube-shaped, bright green leaf, 250–400 mm (9.8–16 in) long, about 3 mm (0.1 in) wide with a purplish-red base. The free part of the leaf beyond the flowering stem is 120–200 mm (5–8 in) long. Between five and twenty five fragrant flowers are crowded along a flowering spike 50–110 mm (2–4 in) long. The flowers are red, greenish red or brownish red and 7–9 mm (0.3–0.4 in) 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 narrow egg-shaped to lance-shaped, 7–9 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long, 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) wide and turned downwards. The lateral sepals are linear to lance-shaped, 7–9 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long, about 2 mm (0.08 in) and erect or curved forwards. The petals are linear to lance-shaped, about 7 mm (0.3 in) long and 2 mm (0.08 in) wide. The labellum is broadly elliptic to egg-shaped, about 6 mm (0.2 in) long, 4 mm (0.2 in) wide and turns upwards through about 90° near its tip. The edges of the labellum are flared and there is a green to reddish channelled callus in its centre. Flowering occurs from December to January.

Summer leek orchid is only known from two populations on the Monaro tableland. It grows between grass tussocks in woodland at an altitude of about 1,000 m (3,000 ft).