luatliery lobes ; and in angusiifolia it is soiuewliat similar, but with the lobes crenate. The two former of these vaiy
extremely in size oiul Irabit, from a slender, thread-like, one-flowered herb, 6 inclies high, to a tall, stout herb, 18-34
inches high, with six or seven flowei-s. Tlie other species (2*. angustifoUd) does not vary so much in form and
stature, being usually larger, stouter, and with larger flowers and leaves, but a good deal in the apex of the column,
whose lobes are crenate, toothed, or fimbriate, long or short, broad or narrow, and whose lateral lobes witli feathery
apices are sometimes quite erect, and much longer than at others.
How far a local botanist may be able to discriminate some of these forms of ixioides and nuda in various parts
of the colony (and in South-eastern Australia, where they .are all very abundant), it is impossible for me to say ; but,
after a very diligent study of the column of all Gunn’s specimens, and of a most beautiful selected series of Archer’s,
accompanied with coloured drawings, and dissections of varieties of them, both Mi'. Archer and myself have come
to the conclusion that the above is a near approximation to the actual number of well-marked forms existing in
Tasmania. (Name from ieXv/ztrpa, in allusion to the hooded column ; that of Macdonaldia was given iu honour of
Airs. Macdonald SviWil)
§ 1. M.a c d o n a l d ia .— Column b at the apex, its sides not produced into toothed or feathery arms. Anther
•e or less granular or villous.
1. T he lym itra antennifera (Hook, fil.); caule flexuoso 1-2-floro, floribus amplis flavis, column®
apice bifido lobis caniosis cuueato-obconlatis purpuréis, lateralibus nullis, anthera acuminata villosa.—
Macdonaldia autennifera, Lindl. S o t. Beg. App. n. 217. t. 9 C .; Gen. et Sp. Orchid. 3 8 5 ; Endl. in PL
Preiss. ii. 4. (Tab. CI. A.)
Hab. Moist ground near Georgetowu, Archer.— (FI. Oct., Nov.)
D is t r ib . South coast of Australia, from Victoria to Swan River.
A very beautiful little plant, 4-8 inches high, slender, the scape with a double flexure, and two lanceolate
bracts, one below each flexure.—Leaf narrow, linear. Floral bracts obtuse. Flowers | - 1 inch across, pale or
deep yellow, relieved by the bifid apex of the column, which is produced into two small purple obcordate appendages.
Segments of the perianth variable in shape from linear-oblong to broadly elliptical-oblong, acute or almost
obtuse.—P la t e CI. A. Fig. 1, section of leaf; 3, side view of column; 3, front view of ditto; 4, the same, vertically
cu t; 5, bairs of anther:—all magnified.
2. The lym itra Smitbiana (Hook, fil.); caule flexuoso 1-2-floro, floribus parvis flavis, column®
apicis lobis 2 brevibus rotundatis, lateralibus nullis, anthera obtusa villosa.—Macdonaldia concolor, Gunn,
M S S .; Lindl. in Bot. Reg. App. n. ¿1 7. t. 9 B . ; EndU in PI. Preiss. ii. 4 ; Lindl. Gen. et Sp. Orchid. 385.
Thelymitra concolor, /. c. T. flexuosa, 29. 945.) (Tab. CI. 2¿.)
Hab. Sandy soil near Circular Head, Mrs. Smith; Georgetown, abundant, Archer.— (El. Oct., Nov.)
D i s t r ib . South-western Australia.
Similar in habit to T. autennifera, and with the same double flexure of the scape, but the bracts on the scape
are longer, almost leafy, and the flowers veiy much smaller, not inch across.—Segments of the perianth pale-yellow,
tinged with pink externally. Apex of column with two blunt lobes. Anther villous, blunt.—P la t e CI. B. Fig. 1,
section of leaf; 3, lateral, and 3, front view of column; 4, hairs of aiitlier:—all ii
3. T he lym itra v en o sa {Br. Prodr. 314) ; caule strictiusculo 1-3-floro, floribus cyaneis venosis,
perianthio connivente, column® apicis lobis linearibus involutis, lateralibus nullis, anthera apice biloba basi
papillosa.—Macdonaldia cyanea et M. venosa, Lindl. Bot. Reg. App. 217; Gen. et Sp. Orchid. 386.
{Gunn, 938, 944.) (Tab. CH. A.)
Hab. Moist ground, flooded in winter. Circular Head and Rocky Cape, Gunn ; Cheshunt and Port
Sorrell, Archer.— (S\. Dec.)
D i s t r ib . New South Wales and Victoria.
A very different-looking species from the preceding, larger, taller, with more campanulate bright blue flowers,
the scape usually without flexures.— 1-3 feet high. Bracts two, appressed, with short lamin®; upper outer
segment of perianth shorter than the inner, two lower longer. Lip obovate, rather expanded. Column with its
bifid apices linear, involute, notched at the tips. Anther with an acuminate bifid apex and papillose base.—This
varies with white and blue flowers. Lindley describes T. venosa, from Bauer’s drawings, as having serrulate segments
of the perianth; this is not the case with my Sydney specimens, but Archer tells me that the lip has some-
tbnes small notches along the margin. The Australian specimens have sometimes six flowers, each nearly an inch
across.—P la t e CII. A. Fig. 1, section of leaf; 2, side, 3, back 4, front views of column; 4, papill® of anther;
—all magnified.
§ 2. Column three-lobed at the apex, the middle lobe notched or entire, tJui lateral propcting forwards and crenulate.
4. The lymitra carnea (Br. Prodr. 51 9 ); caide gracib subflexuoso 1-3-floro, floribus roséis parvis,
column® apice trilob® lobo medio rotundato crenulato lateralibus porrectis carnosulis crenato-dentatis ver-
rucosisque, anthera subacuta.—Lindl. Gen. et Sp. Orchid. 519. {Gunn, 756, 757.) (T a b . CII. B.)
H a b . Near Hobarton, Gunn; Georgetown and Cheshunt, Archer.— (FI. Dec.)
D is t r ib . New South Wales, Victoria, and Swan River.
A small, slender species, a span to 18 inches high, with the scape strict, or having a strong double flexure,
bearing one iiarrow-bneai- leaf at the base, and two closely appressed bracts. Flowers two or tliree, flesh- or rose-
coloured, small, i inch across. Segments of perianth acute. Column with a thrce-lobed apex, tlie middle lobe truncate
or rounded, crenulate, the lateral projecting forwards and upwards, rather tliick, toothed and waited. Anthei-
short, blunt.—Except by wanting the feathery apices of the lateral lobes of the column, I cannot distinguish dried
specimens of this from small ones of P. ixioides T.nuda.— Pi.Ki% CII. B. Fig. 1, section of leaf; 2, side, and
3, front view of column; 4, basis of anther;—all magnified.
§ 3. Column three-lobed at the top, the lateral lobes produced into feaiheiy arms, the middle lobe trifid or notched.
Anther wholly hidden in the column.
5. T he lym itra nuda (Br. Prodr. 3 1 4 ); caule strictiusculo 1-10-floro, floribus pallide c®ruleis
roseisve, column® apice 3-lob® lobo intermedio foriúcato rotundato bifido v. emarginato margine integer-
rimo laterales breviter porrectos plumosos superante, anthera inclusa apice rotundata apiculata.—T. pau-
ciilora, Br. I.e. T. arenaria, versicolor et gramínea, Lindl. Gen. et Sp. Orchid. 519-521. {Gunn, 58,
935, 942, 101 in part, 940, 943, 937.) ( T a b . C III. A.)
Var. /S; column® lobo intermedio truncato crenulato.—An species distincta?
H a b . Abundant throughout the Colony, in various soils and localities.— (FI. Nov.-Jau.) {v. v.)
D is t r ib . New South Wales, Victoria, aud South Australia; New Zealand?
Stems usually a foot high, and three- to six-flowered, but of all degrees of stoutness and slenderness, and
sometimes 2 feet high, at others 6 inches. Flowers a pale delicate blue, tinged with pink, or passing into pmk.
Column dark purple towards the apex; the middle and lateral lobes generally yellow; the middle lobe rounded,
notched, or bifid, its margins more or less inflexed, quite entire; lateral lobes short, more or less feathery. For the
var. /5 I am indebted to Mr. Archer: it may prove a distinct species, but we have very few specimens.—P late
CIII. A. Fig. 1, lateral, and 2, front view of column; 3, anther; 4, hair of column:—aZi magnified.
6 . The lymitra an gustifolia (Br. Prodr. 314) ; caule robusto stricto 4-10-floro, floribus pallide
c®ruleis, column® apice trilob® lobo intermedio fornicato rotundato emarginato v. bifido margine lacero
fimbriato laterales breviter porrectos plumosos superante, anthera inclusa obtusa breviter apiculata.—
T. aristata, Lindl. Gen. et Sp. Orchid. T. graudis, Muller. {Gunn, 101 in part, 941, 939.)