^iTis'J Sargent, Westralian Form of Prasophylliim aiistrale. ^7 



p. 209), and Bentham records it from " wet places or in water " 

 in Victoria (" Flora Australiensis," vi., p. 337). The Westralian 

 form I have found only in dry places. I have found it in several 

 locahties near York, but always in well-drained, sandy, iron- 

 stone soil, which looks about as fertile as a brick. As a fact, 

 much of it is quite otherwise, though not first-class. According 

 to Rogers {loc. cit.), the flowers of the tj^pical form are " sweet- 

 scented " ; the Westrahan form has odourless blossoms. In 

 South Austraha December is the flowering month ; here 

 flowering is over by the middle of October. This early 

 flowering is, perhaps, entirely due to the dry habitat. 



The apparently extreme difference in habitat chosen by the 

 Eastern and Western forms is astonishing at first sight ; but 

 it should be remembered that a swamp may be " phj^siologically 

 dry," so the contrast in moisture conditions may be much less 

 than it appears, or even non-existent from the plant's stand- 

 point. Anyway, the case is not without parallel. Caladenia 

 longicauda, Lindl., and Pterostylis tiirfosa, Endl., grow in 

 swamps in South Perth (W.A.) ; but specimens collected there- 

 from are scarcely to be distinguished from specimens collected 

 in York, where I have only found the species in dry places. 

 Pterostylis pyramid alis, Lindl., grows in the bed of the Avon 

 River in salty, black mud, and during the growing season is, 

 in most years, completely immersed for over a month, while 

 the river is in flood. I have transferred many specimens to 

 dry, gravelly soil, and they have grown quite normally, and 

 re-appeared year after year. The change to dry conditions 

 has had not the least visible effect. Caladenia BarbarosscB, 

 Reichb., occurs in similar situations, often in company with 

 Pterostylis pyramidalis, and, like that species, it seems quite 

 unaffected by' transfer to a dry situation. I can only conclude 

 that these species do not inhabit wet places for the sake of 

 abundant moisture. Perhaps this is true also of Prasophyllum 

 australe in South Australia. 



A few notes on pollination and fruit production seem worth 

 recording. On touching the rostellum with a suitable object 

 (I used a match stalk in my experiments), the pollinia become 

 attached, and are readily removed. As they leave the anther 

 they spring up, and occupy a position in relation to the base 

 of the caulicle diametrically opposite to that occupied while 

 within the anther. This is brought about by a sharp bend of 

 the caulicle near its base. After removal from the flower the 

 polhnia, then standing erect, slowly fall till they regain their 

 anther position and hang vertically down. This movement 

 is complete about six minutes after extraction. If now the 

 object bearing them be returned to the flower exactly as at 

 first, the pollinia strike the stigma, and liberally besmear that 



