42 Tr ansae tions. — Bat a ny . 



apart, and (with flowers) mostly running in three hnes ; ovate- 

 acuminate, dark-purple, many veined ; tips recurved. 



Flowers 20-40, loosely spiked on upper two-thirds of stem, 

 distaiit throughout ^in.-fin. apart, presenting a sub-decussate 

 appearance, sessile ; floral bract as long as corolla. 



Calyx beneath only (corolla naked at top and sides), purple, 

 ovate-acuminate, 2-leaved, each bilobed nearly to base ; lobes 

 long acuminate, unequal, the outer lobe twice the length of the 

 inner one and half as long as corolla, sub-erect, divergent, their 

 margins slightly and finely sub-denticulate and much ciliate. 



Corolla sub-ascending, patent, arcbed, 7-8 lines long, 

 cylindrical, mouth broadly dilated, margins recurved; the 

 upper half purple above ; base and sides white ; veins dark- 

 purple ; lips whitish dashed with purple, their iiiargins irregu- 

 larly denticulate or laciniate-toothed, wavy ; glabrous within, 

 shining ; the upper lip projecting beyond the lower one, deeply 

 emarginate or sub-bilobed, lobes rounded, sometimes sligbtly 

 decurved ; the lower lip larger, much recurved, sub-3-lobed, 

 lobes nearly equal in length, the middle lobe shortest obtuse 

 rounded, lateral lobes large spreading puckered, with inner 

 margins incurved and much rumpled and inflated, somewhat 

 like two sub-calli, each with a large ochraceous spot or dash. 



Stamens inserted near base of corolla, stout, glabrous, flexu- 

 ous, about half as long as corolla ; anthers reniform-orbicular, 

 mucronate ; light iimber-brown. Style thick and dilated at 

 top, glabrous, with a few (5-6) scattered microscc^pic glandular 

 hairs near top. Stigma large, recurved, bilobed ; lobes globu- 

 lar, spreading, purple, finely papillose ; finally exserted. 

 Ovary ovoid. 



Ilah. Parasitical on the roots of a small spreading Hydro- 

 cotyle (H. sibthorploides, Col.), tlie foster plant originally 

 brought from forests near Dannevirke, Count v of Waipawa ; 

 1887 : W.C. 



Obs. This plant is in many respects a remarkable and 

 interesting one ; especially if (as I at present believe) it should 

 prove to be a new species, as such bas not yet been detected 

 in tliis country, nor in the Southern Hemisphere. I will there- 

 fore briefly give its history : — 



In 1887 I planted in a large-si;^e flower-pot some Ptero- 

 stylis, and Thelymitra tubers (these subsequently flow'ered), 

 and with them a small neat Hydrocotylc, which 1 had also 

 brought from the woods in the interior, as I wished to see its 

 ripe fruit. The Hydrocotylc plant grew amazingly, throwing 

 out scores of long filiform branches, 2ft. -3ft. long, and covered 

 with flowers and fruit ; and has proved to be — what I had 

 supposed — a new species.* Suddenly (early in September, 



* IT. mbthorjnioides, Col. (Vide description in Xvt. V.,p. 83.) 



