FLORA OF TASMANIA.
To facilitate tlie recognition of the Tasmanian Orchidecc, I give a clavis of the genera, founded on the
most prominent characters these present; but a tyro will find it exceedingly difficult to make out any
satisfactorily until he has acquired some general knowledge of the majority.
A. Anther deciduous, terminal. Pollen may. (V a n d e a ) .
1. G u n n ia .— An e p ip h y te , w ith lo n g , to r tu o u s , a e ria l ro o ts , d is tich o u s falc ate le av e s jo in te d n e a r th e b a se ,
a n d a sim p le rac eme o f y ellow, sw e e t-sc e n te d flowers (p. 32 ).
2. D ip o d iu m .— A ten -e stria l, leafless h e rb , w ith a lai'ge e re ct rac em e o f ro se -co lo u re d , sp o tte d flowers.
S ep a ls a n d p e ta ls rev o lu te a t th e ap ex (p. 3 2 ).
B. Anther deciduous, terminal. Pollen granular. (Gastvodie®.)
3 . Ga s t r o d ia .— A leafless, d irty -w h ite o r p a le -b row n h e rb , w ith a fleshy tu b e ro u s ro o t, a stem w ith sh e a th in
g scales, a n d few-flowered rac eme o f w h itis h d ro o p in g flowers, wh o se sep als a n d p e ta ls a re u n ite d in to
a tu b u la r , ven trico se , 5 -to o th e d p e ria n th (p . 31 ).
C . Anther deciduous, tei-minal. PolleJi powdery. (Avethuse®.)
a. Labellum anticous.
4 . M ic u o t is .— S leu tle r, e re c t k e rb s , w ith tu b e rows ro o ts >t Ih o ba se o t th e s tem , n a rrow lin e a r leaves, crowtlcil
sp ik e s o f v e ry m in u te g re e n flowers (p . 2 4 ).
5. A c ia n t h u s.— Sm a ll, sle n d e r, d e lica te p la n ts , w ith lon g -p ed iccUed tu b e rs a t th e ba se o f th e s tem , on e sessile
c o rd a te le a f o n th e s tem , a n d a few racemose b row n ish flowers, w ith lo n g p o in ts to th e se p a ls an d
p e ta ls (p. 2 5 ).
6. C y r t o s t y l i s .— S im ila r to Aciauthus, b u t w ith th e co lumn d ila te d a t th e ap ex (]>. 25 ).
7. C h il o g l o t t is .— Sma ll h e rb s , w itli lo n g u n d e rg i-o u n d ro o ts , each te rm in a tin g in a tu b e r ; tw o sessile
le av e s a t th e b a s e o f th e sc ape , a n d on e ( ra re ly two ) te rm in a l r e d d ish -b row n a n d g ree n flower, wh o se
labeUum b e a rs la rg e , ped ice lled , c a p ita te , d a rk r e d -b row n g la n d s (p. 2 3 ).
8. E r i o c h i l u s .— A v e ry s le n d e r h e rb , w ith a lo n g u n d e rg ro u n d ro o t te rm in a te d b y a n a k e d tu b e r, on e se ssile
o v a te le a f o n th e sc ape , a n d sm a ll g re e n ish -w h ite p u b e s c e n t flowers, h a v in g th e la te ra l sep als u n g u i-
c u la te (p. 26).
9. Ca l a d e n ia .— S le n d er, o ften b e au tifu l h e rb s , m o s tly co vered w ith g la n d u la r p u b e scence o r lo n g h a irs ,
h o v in g a lo n g an ilergeowm l ro o t le rm iB .te d b y a c o a te d tu b e r, on e lin e a r o r o b lo n g r ad ic a l leaf, a n d a
l - 2 - « o w e r e d s c a p e ; Sowe rs often la rg e , w ith sp re a d in g n a rrow se gm en ts, a n d th e h ib e lkm stiickled w ith
p ed ice lled g la n d s (p . 26 ).
10. GLOssoDiA.-Small pilose herbs, with the geiieiM characters of Caladenia, but differing in the labellum
being sessSe, having no glands, but an erect projection at the very base, close to the cohnnii (p, 31).
1 1 . P t e h o s t y l is.— P ale-g reen , slen d er, o ften m em b ran o n s h e rb s , w ith a lo n g u n d e rg ro u n d ro o t te rm in a te d
b y a n a k e d tu b e r, ra d ic a l o r a lte rn a te oan lin e leaves o r n o n e , a n d so litary o r racemose g ree n tra n s p a re n t
Sowers. U p p e r sep al g a lea te. L a b e llum ir r ita b le . Co lum n v e ry lo n g , w itli a n rie le d w in g s a t th e to p .
a n d th e stigm a halfway down i ts face (p. 18).
1 2 . C 0B Y S iSTH B S ._A sm a ll, s in g u la r-lo o k in g p la n t, w ith a lo n g u n d e rg ro u n d ro o t te rm in a te d b y a n ak ed
t u b e r ; o n e sessile, b ro a d , c o rd a te leaf, a n d on e a lm o st sessile r ed -b row n Sowe r as la rg e as tire leaf, with
a very’ la rg e g a lea te d o rs a l sep al, a n d la rg e r, ouciillate. Sm b ria te d lab ellm u . A n th e r o n o -cclled (p . 16).
13. B b -M E T O i . -A v e ry sma ll, s to u t h e rb , 2 inolies h ig h , w ith u tew a lte rn a te leaves, a n d on e o r tw o e re ct
Sowers, n e a rly eqrtal sep als a n d p e ta ls , w ith in v o lu te m a rg in s , a n d a sh o rt, bro ad ly -o n n co le, p ap illo se
la b e llum (p. 16 ).
Labellum posticous.
1 4 . L y p e r a n t h u s.— A s h o rt, s to u t , r a th e r flesliy h e rb , w ith a lo n g u n d e rg i'o u n d ro o t te rm in a ted b y a n aked
tu b e r, sev eral le av e s a t th e b a s e o f th e scape, a n d red -b row n rac em o s e flowers. Sep a ls sp read in g . L a b
e llum p o s tico u s , w ith c re n u la te m a rg in s (p. 16).
15. Ca e ea n a .— All erect, slender herb, with a fibrous underground root terminated by a naked tuber,
one linear leaf, a long scape, few rather large fuseous-green flowers, which have the iiritablc labcllim,
shaped like a hammer, with the head placed over the flower (i>. 8).
,D. Anther persistent, at the back of and parallel to the column, or sunk in a deep notch of the column, its apex pointing
forwards and upwards. Pollen powdery. (Neottie®.)
a. Labellum anticous.
15. Tuelymitra.-—Stout or slender herbs, with one linear leaf, and one- or a few-flowercil raceme of flowers,
whose petals, sepals, and labeUum are nearly equal and similar; the labellum witliout glands (p. 3).
16. Diuris.—Generally tall, slender herbs, with several linear radical leaves and few-fiowered racemes, linear
lateral sepals placed below the tlirec-lobcd labellum, and a petaloid staminodium on each side of the base
of the column (p. 6).
17. Calochilus.—A stout, erect herb, with leafy stem, a spike generally of reddish-brown flowm. winch
liave the labellum beautifully frmged with long purple bairs (p. 14).
18. Sp ir a n t i ie s .— A slen d er, leafy h e rb , w ith u few lin e a r leaves, a n d twdsted sp ik e o f sma ll p in k flowers
(p. 14).
/3. Ijahellum posticous.
19. Prasophyllum.—Slender or stout herbs, leafy or leafless, bearing two sessile coated tubers, and spikes
of smnll greenish-yellow or purple towers. Column short, with tl.e msrglns expanded into stamiiiodi.
(p. 9),
20. C ry p to sty lis.—A tall, slender herb, witli one radical, petioled, linear-lanccolate, coriaceous leaf, and a
few-flowered spike of rather large red-brown flowers (p. 8).
Tribe I. N eottiEyE.
Gen. I. THELYMITIU, Forst.
Ferianthiwm regulare, foliolis omnibus (labello incluso) conformibus. Labellum sessile, nudum. Columna
bifida, cucullata, trífida, lobo medio emargirmto v. trifido, lateralibus porrectis crenafcis v. in appen-
dicein apicc plnmosam produclis. Anthem persistens, lobo medio columnas inserta, stigmate libero paral-
lela, inclusa V. semiexserta, biloenlarls. íoUinia 4, stigmatis gkndnlm atHxa.—Herbas; radleibus plenimqiie
bUuierculatu! folio lineari (mnue lanceoUlo), m fim m e mlUario : scapo %-?,-bradento, ajiiee l-H-Jloro :
Horibus alUs cm n b k enmele furpnrMcenlVme flavvlkne, enb sole apertk, tempore nehdoso claims.
This genus may be diatingidshed at once by the segments of the pciianlh and sessile labellmn being nearly all
equal and similar, and by the column forming a rather membranons hood, which encloses the snhereet anther. It
abounds in cxlratropic.al'Australia and New Zealand, bnt is very rare in tropical Australia, and, except one species
found in the lofty mountains of Java, none are known to inhabit other countries but those mentioned, thongli some
will no doubt he fomid in New Cnledoiiin, etc. In the ' New Ze.aland l-'loro' I hnve .alluded to the extreme diffi-
enlty, if not bnpossibility, of characterising the forms of the gemis in that eonntiy, and there is not less difficulty
with 'regard to some ot the jlnstralian ones. Ot these Brown enumerates ten, and Lindley twenty-nine (including
Macdonaldid).
The Tasmanian species, of which Brown had one only, may be reckoned at seven, according to Mr. Archer s
and my opinion. Of these, foot belong to the very distinct section MaeiomUia, which has no plumose appendages
to the colnmn, end are very distinct from one another (though it is sometimes difficult to discriminate ir ie i speci-
chnens of T. canua and J . cenosa from smaB forms of T. mala and Moilei). Tlie other three ore all extremely
varlolto in sise and many minor points, but nrc, I think, easily referable to T. mda, angusli/oUa, and kioijts.
■Of these three species, I . iaioides has the nikkUc lobe of the cohimn truncate, trifid, hcinioled. or crested, and
shorter than the l.ateral feathery lobes; ia T. nnla it is hooded, notched or bibbed, and higher than the lateral