Graveside Leek Orchid Recovery Program
“The Graveside Leek Orchid is facing an extreme extinction risk. Without a targeted conservation program, it is almost certain that we will see this species disappear forever.”
Background
Prasophyllum taphanyx, or the Graveside Leek Orchid, is at extreme risk of extinction. The species is known from a few plants at a single site. The main threatening processes are inappropriate timing of mowing and inadvertent visitor trampling. The threat of visitor trampling has increased in recent years with the use of social media by naturalists. In 2020, a single plant of the graveside leek orchid flowered for the first time in years but was subsequently broken before it could set seed. No plants have been observed since.
The LRF coordinates the Tasmanian Orchid Conservation Program and was excited to receive funding from the Australian Government’s Saving Native Species Program in support of a project focusing on the Graveside Leek Orchid Recovery Program.
Project Scope
The key recovery activity of this program will be undertaking extension surveys in potential habitat in the Midlands in an effort to discover new populations of this species. The project will also protect the known graveside leek orchid site. To prevent mowing and reduce the impact of visitor trampling, a temporary exclosure will be installed with interpretive signage during the flowering and seeding period. This protection is essential to the success of ex situ conservation efforts, as seed will be collected from the graveside leek orchid if it emerges, flowers and sets seed during the project timeframe. In addition to this, workshops and other communication on the practical implementation of ethical photography principles will be undertaken
Recovery actions undertaken for the graveside leek orchid will directly benefit a suite of six other EBPCA listed orchids: Caladenia anthracina (black-tipped spider orchid, Critically endangered), Pterostylis commutata (Midlands greenhood, Critically endangered), Pterostylis wapstrarum (fleshy greenhood, Critically endangered), Prasophyllum olidum (pungent leek orchid, Critically endangered), P. incorrectum (golfers leek orchid, Critically endangered) and P. tunbridgense (Tunbridge leek orchid, Endangered).
Project Outcomes
The expected outcomes of this program include:
Increasing knowledge of the distribution, and potentially the known extent, of the graveside leek orchid and the other six target threatened orchid species in the Tasmanian Midlands.
Improving the condition of habitat at the only known site for the graveside leek orchid by reducing on-site threats of mowing and visitor trampling during the graveside leek orchid flowering and seed set.
Establish ex situ collections of the graveside leek orchid for future translocation efforts (as enabled by plant emergence and seed set during the project).
Improving behaviour of nature photographers visiting sensitive orchid sites in Tasmanian Midlands through improving awareness of ethical photography principles.
Timeline
This project is scheduled for completion by the end of November 2025.
Funding
This project received grant funding from the Australian Government Saving Native Species Program. It is also supported by project partners including the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, Midlands Conservation Partnership (Tasmanian Land Conservancy and Bush Heritage Australia), Threatened Plants Tasmania and ECOtas.
