jS Pescott and French, A Yeai Among the Orchids. [voMcxxii 



biological condition is responsible for the flowering of our own 

 local species. This fungus is common in the soils everywhere 

 in the Victorian bush, and it does not favourably develop in 

 hot, dry weather. So it may be suggested, presuming the 

 fungus operates on our own species, that the hot, dry season 

 prevented the fungus developing ami growing, ami. .1- .1 result, 

 the tubers did not receive the force necessary to stimulate 

 flowering. 



The genus Prasophyllum was also somewhat scarce last year. 

 With the exception of three species which were found abundantly 

 at Healesville, only a single specimen each of Prasophyllum 

 Archeri, at Emerald, and / ; . despectans, at Bayswater, were 

 collected. Prasophyllum fuscum, P. brevilabre, and P. australe 

 were growing intermingled at Healesville, and. casually, it 

 would be very easy to confuse the species, except for the dainty 

 fragrance of P. fuscum. Om- fasciated spike of this species 

 was collected, having fifty-one flowers. Prasophyllum datum, 

 which is plentiful enough in mosl seasons, was not found 

 at all. 



A genus which might be expected to suffer considerably, or 

 even to be markedly absent, owing to the dry. hot season, is 

 Pterostylis ; but thai was not the case. for. in all. fourteen 

 species were collected, according to theii season, ami. with 



tlie exception ol P. pedaloglossa, which has been previously 

 referred to. .ill were flowering well. P. parviflora, which flowers 

 111 the autumn, and which might reasonably have been expected 

 to -utter, was well in evidence in several collecting-grounds. 

 It wa> noticeable of this species thai the tallei ami more robust 

 specimens were found on the stiff, dry. clay soils, while the 

 small plant-. Ire(|uently with only a single flower, were mostly 

 growing in the humid and peat} soils of the tea-tree area. The 

 queer, hairy-tongued species, /'. barbata, too. was fairly 

 abundant. The naming ol Pterostylis falcata, which has been 

 confused with P. cucullata; the raising to specific rank ol its 

 variety as /'. al/pina\ and the placing oi P. Mackibbini as a 

 synonym ol P. cucullata, all by Dr. R. S. Rogers, M.A.. the 

 well-known Australian orchidologist, has previously been 

 rred to ,it the club. Both P. falcata ami /'. alpina were 

 collected along the Waits Rivei in October, where they grow 

 fairly profusely. 



The three genera which delighl in the summer sun, Thely- 

 mitra, Diuris, ami Caladenia, were all very plentiful, the 

 "ii apparently not having affected them .it all, unless to 

 cause them to blossom profusely. Diuris alba flowered beauti- 

 fully, both naturally ami undei 1 ultivation, while i>. longijolia 

 and D. pedunculata wen- very abundant at Ringwood. P>- 

 punctata is becoming tare within fair range of the metropolis, 

 but one occasionally hears "i good numbers ol blooms in 



