YTs'I Pescott, Reproduction of Terrestrial Orchids. 177 



in favourable situations, the lateral roots of P. elatitm are longer. 

 On one occasion one lateral root of this species was observed 

 five inches long. One cluster of P. album, collected 24/11/15, 

 had four flowering-stems close together, with a total of eleven 

 tubers, not counting the older parent tubers. In addition, two 

 foliage (non-flowering) juvenile tubers from last season were 

 present. In a similar manner, P. patens, P. fnscum, P. Frenchii, 

 P. hrevilabre, and P. despectans increase. 



The one exception in this genus is P. ftavum. This is a tall- 

 growing species, almost as tall as P. elatum, with yellow flowers. 

 The flower-stems develop from a thick, fleshy, tuberous root- 

 stock, which is very like the root-stocks of certain garden 

 Irises. In this case the rhizomes of this species are wonder- 

 fully like those of Dipodium punctatuM. 



Other Genera. 



The species in the genera Corysanthes, Caleya, Acianthus, 

 Cyrtostylis, Calochilus, Lyperanthus, and Chiloglottis, all, so 

 far as observed, produce very long filamentous roots, with 

 terminal juvenile tubers. 



Corysanthes priiinosa is occasionallj' found in colonies on 

 the trunks of tree-ferns. The parent orchids, in growing at 

 the base of the fern, send filamentous roots upwards. These 

 roots find the shelter of the tree-fern trunk congenial, and so 

 they push on, forming the tubers, and dying, leaving the tubers 

 a few inches up the stem. And thus, in the lapse of years, 

 additional roots send new tubers further and higher up the 

 stems. In this way I found Corysanthes iingniculata nine inches 

 from the ground, growing from under the bark of Melaleuca 

 squarrosa. 



The species of Caleya have very large tubers, the longest 

 filamentous root noted being one of C. major, nine inches long. 



The lateral roots of Lyperanthus snaveolens are stouter than 

 usual, and, on the average, they are longer than any other 

 species. The longest noted was 12}, inches. 



The longest root observed of any species was one of Chilo- 

 glottis trapeziforme , which exceeded 15 inches in length. 



In Microtis porrifolia the lateral roots and the subsequent 

 juyenile tubers are far more numerous than in any other orchids 

 observed. This will account for its prevalence in its native 

 habitat. This species is exceedingly hardy, and readily survives 

 cultivation, for a time at least. Further, it possesses the rare 

 occurrence of showing the dormant " eye " or bud on the tuber 

 very prominently. 



The Genus Caladenia. 



This genus, with the closely-allied one, Glossodia, again 

 presents some remarkable features of reproduction. The 



