Gen. XI. MICROTIS, Br.
T m m tU um herbaoenm, ringeiis. Sefalum dorsale cum petalis parvis linearibus in galeam conuivens ;
lateralia labello supposita. U h d h m dissimile, oblongum, obtusum, iutegerrimum v. lobatum, calhs glali-
dulisve instructum. alumno, nana, intundibulitormis, utrinque auricula membranacea anota. Anthora
terminalls, mutica. ToUiuio 4— Herbie tarodros, glahrm : radieibus e tnbms oblmgk nutlu in iw u u I
folio oanlino wUtario, tereti, fidnhoo, iari vaginante ; floribus herUcAo, gparvu, mriiUm, demo epteatu.
A commou venus iu temperate Australia aud New Zealand, of which about a doseu species are kuown. A
species is found in New Caledonia, and another in Java. These are very variable in statare, bnt uniform m general
characters, forming rather stout, green herbs, with small, green, densely spiked flowers, and a single, terete, fistu-
lose ioni-R o o t, of undivided oblong tubers. Roriantl, herbaceous, gieeu, of one dorsal, t.tlier large, eoiieave
sepal paraUel to and on each side ot which is a sinaU linear sepffi. Utoral oop.h placed under the gieen, oblong
labellum, which is furnished with granulated, callous bodies on its snrtaee. Column small, terete, with expanded
mavrins. (Name from ¡xiKpos, small, and ov?, an ear.) a , . >
I have characterized three species of this germs, foUowing Brown’s and Lindley’s descriptions, and Archer s
notes and di-awings, but 1 am unable to distiugnish tbe dried specimens, aud I suspect that man, intermed.ate
and aberrant forms wül be found.
1. M ic ro tìs pulch ella (Br, Prodr. 33 1 ); sepalis lateralibus petalisque patentlbus mmli-oblongis
obtusiusculis acuminatisve, labello oblongo bilobo apicem versus callo granuloso, margine cnspato, calhs
basi coiiflueutlbus.— Ä Ä . Gen. ot S f. Orch. 395. (Gunn, 915, 918.) (Tab. OXVIII. A.)
H a b . A b u B d a n t in s a n d , s o il th r o u g h o u t th e I s l a n d .— (F I . N o v . , D e c .)
D is t iu b . N ew South Wales, Victoria, and South-west Australia.
Stem, 6 inches to 2 feet high, slender or robust. Tlomor, ver, variable in sise, as is tbe ovatinm. Sofok and
potah blnnt. LaleB.m ivith crisped margins, oblong, blunt, or two-lobed at tbe apex, hariog one granular callus
more or less developed towards tbe apex, aud two confluent ones at tbe bose.—PLATB CXYIII. J . Fig. 1. fron .
and 2, side view of flower ; 3, labeUnm ; 4, front, and 5, side views ot column i—oM mugnißei.
2 M ic ro tis nreoaria (Lindl. Gen. et Sp. Oreh. 396) ; sepalis laleralibus petalisque ovali- v. lineari-
oblongis obtnsis acuminatisve, labello oblongo retaso margino planinsculo apicem versus callo granuloso,
oallis basi coufluentibus.— M. media, Br. f (Gunn, 354, 916.) (T a b . CXVIII. B.)
H ab. Sandhills neat the sea : Circular Head, G»»».— (FI. Dec.)
D is t b ib . N ew South W a le s aud Victoria.
Quite similar to large states ot M. p.loMlu. and only disti.gnishable b , the more plane labeEnm, that ha. not
crisped margins, is less strongly lobed. and has the caffi less developed.-Pl-VTB CXVIII. B. Fig. 1. front, and
2. side view of flower ; 3, labellum ; 4, front, and 5. side view of column -.—all magnified.
3. M ic ro tis rara (Br. Prodr. 321); spica rariflora, sepalis lateralibus revolutis petalisque lineari-
oblongis acutis, labello oblongo retuso marginibus subundulatis callis basi coofluentibus apice subcalloso.
Lindl. Gen. et Sp. Orch. 396. M. frutetorum. Schlecht. {Gunn, 917.)
H a b . Wet places: Circular Head. Hampshire Hills, etc., Lawrence, Gnnn; Cheshunt, Archer.— {YV.
Dec.)
D is t r ib . New South Wales and Victoria.
My Tasmania, species are a different-looking plant from either of the preceding, but not easily eluracterised. except
b , being more slender, with more sparse and more erect flowers.-Xoí<™¡ „pal, and p d .l , acute the former
acuminate. LoMll.m with less undulated margins than in puloMh, and a more obscure callus towards the Up.
4. Mic ro tis parviflora (Br. Prodr. 821} ; spica densa, floribus parvis, sepalis lateralibus oblongi.s
revolutis petalisque obtusis, labello lineari-oblongo obtuso marginibus planiusculis nudis, disci dimidio
superiore ecalloso.— Lindl. Gen. et Sp. Orch. 395 ; Bot. Mag. 3377 ; Endl, Ic. Gen. 1588.
ILvb. Circular Head, G^inn ; dry ground near Cheshunt, Archer.— (PI. Dec.)
D is t r ib . Tropical Australia, New South Wales, and Victoria.
Smaller than any of the foregoing species, with smaller flowers, shorter ovaries, and a short, oblong, blunt,
nearly plane labellum, its upper half thickened, but hardly callous.
Gen. X II. ACIANTHUS, Br.
Sepala patentia, acuminata v. aristata ; lateralia labello supposita. Petala minora, acuminata. Labellum
liberum, integrum, basi bicallosum, disco inappendiculato. Columna semiteres, clavata, inauriculata.
Anthera terminalis, persistens, 2-locularis, recumbens. Pollinia 8, v. 4 bipartita.—llG.xhxa parva, tenera,
membranacea; tuberibus globoás, indivisis, caudicem terminantibus, novellis pedicellatis ; folio solitario,
suhsessili, late cordato, reticulato-vsnoso ; floribus yjawm, racemosis.
A very small genus, of delicate, shade-loving, inconspicuous plants, found in temperate Australia and New Zealand.—
Roois of prostrate caudices, ending in small, round tubers. Stems slender and succulent, with one hroadly-
cordate, sessile, membrauous, reticulated leaf. Flowers few, red-hrown, racemose. Sepals and petals slender, acuminate,
or terminated in a subulate point. Labellum projecting, undivided, with a naked disc, and two calli at its
base. Column long, slender, not dilated into auricles. Anther deciduous, placed rather behind the apex of the
column (as in NeoUiea). (Name from aicvs, a needle, and avíos, afiower; in allusion to the pointed periantli.)
1. Ac ianthus caudatus (Br. Prodr. 32 1 ); floribus 1 -3, sepalo dorsali longissime setaceo acuminato,
lateralibus brevioribus petalis triplo longioribus, labello lanceolato.— Gen. et Sp. Orch. 397.
{Gunn, 758.) (Tab. CXIX. B.)
Hab. Common in shaded moist woods: Woolnorth and Circular Head, Gunn; Chudleigh, Archer;
Hobarton, J . B . R . - { F \ . Oct.) (í;. v .)
D is t r ib . New South Wales.
Stems 3 - 5 inches high. Leaf acuminate, with often undulated margins. Flowers one to three, deep, dark
brown-purple. Dorsal sepal extremely long and narrow, erect, nearly an inch long, mucli longer than the lateral,
which ai'e twice as long as the petals.—P l a t e CXIX. B. Plant of the natural size.
2. Ac ian th u s ex se rtu s (Br. Prodr. 321) ; floribus racemosis, sepalo dorsali ovato-lanceolato aris-
tato, lateralibus subulato-lanceolatis cequilongis, petalis horizontahter reflexis sepalis i brevioribus lanceolatis
acuminatis, labello apice papilloso.— Lindi. I. c. 397. {Gunn, 752.) (T a b . CXIX. A.)
Hab. Circular Head, in light soil, Gmn ; rocky ground near Cheshunt, Archer.— (FI Oct.)
D is t r ib . New South Wales and Victoria.
Similar in habit to A. caudatus, but with more (four to six') flowers, which are much smaller, with far shorter,
paler-coloured sepals and petals, ivhose slender points are thickened at the tips.—P la t e CXIX. A. Fig. 1, flower;
2 , labellum ; 3 , front, and 4 , side view of column ; 5, pollen -.—all magnified.
Gen. X I II. CYRTOSTYLIS, Br.
Sepala patentia, linearia (non aristata), dorsali erecto, lateralibus labello suppositis, tequilongis. Petala
demissa. Lahellum povrectum, planum, obtusura, indivisum, basi bicallosa. Columna gracüis, subgenicu-
lata, versus apicem dilatata. Anthera bilocularis, terminalis, persistens, teres. Pollinia 4.—Ilcrbm haUtu
etc. Aciauthi.