▁an ▁under ground ▁t uber ▁and ▁a ▁single ▁t ube - sh aped ▁leaf ▁ ▁long ▁and ▁ ▁wide ▁with ▁a ▁re dd ish ▁base . ▁Between ▁five ▁and ▁twenty ▁flowers ▁are ▁arranged ▁along ▁a ▁flow ering ▁sp ike ▁ ▁long ▁reaching ▁to ▁a ▁height ▁of ▁. ▁The ▁flowers ▁are ▁yellow ish - green , ▁brown , ▁pur ple - pl um ▁and ▁white ▁and ▁are ▁light ly ▁sc ented . ▁As ▁with ▁others ▁in ▁the ▁genus , ▁the ▁flowers ▁are ▁invert ed ▁so ▁that ▁the ▁lab ell um ▁is ▁above ▁the ▁column ▁rather ▁than ▁below ▁it . ▁The ▁d ors al ▁se pal ▁is ▁ ▁long ▁and ▁ ▁wide ▁and ▁the ▁later al ▁sep als ▁are ▁ ▁long , ▁ ▁wide ▁and ▁free ▁from ▁each ▁other . ▁The ▁pet als ▁are ▁ ▁long , ▁ ▁wide , ▁have ▁a ▁central ▁dark ▁band ▁and ▁turn ▁for wards . ▁The ▁lab ell um ▁is ▁ ▁long , ▁about ▁ ▁wide ▁and ▁turns ▁sharp ly ▁up wards ▁near ▁its ▁middle , ▁the ▁u pt urn ed ▁part ▁with ▁cr ink led ▁edges . ▁There ▁is ▁a ▁brown ish ▁call us ▁in ▁the ▁centre ▁of ▁the ▁lab ell um , ▁reaching ▁almost ▁to ▁its ▁tip . ▁Flow ering ▁occurs ▁from ▁September ▁to ▁November . ▁ ▁Tax onomy ▁and ▁naming ▁Pr as oph yll um ▁pr u inos um ▁was ▁first ▁formally ▁described ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 9 ▁by ▁Richard ▁Sand ers ▁Rog ers ▁and ▁the ▁description ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁Trans actions , ▁proceed ings ▁and