Sept.,! Pescott and French, A Year Among the Orchids. 79 



1915 J y t> / v 



distant country localities. Many of the Thelymitras were 

 abundant. Ringvvood was gay with T. aristata and T. ixioides, 

 while Frankston and elsewhere were fragrant with dainty T. 

 antennifera. With the exception of the beautiful T. epipactoides, 

 the genus seems to be as prevalent as ever in the various 

 localities, hut this one species is last becoming very rare. It 

 was not found even after much hunting during the past two 

 seasons. With the exception of Caladenia filamentosa, every 

 Victorian species was observed, C. Cairnsiana being excep- 

 tionally fine. C. discoidea is still retained on the Victorian 

 lists, although it is purely a Western Australian species. It 

 is very probable that this species has crept into Victorian 

 records by accident or by error. The long-petalled form of 

 ('. Patersoni was not very frequent, but the variety known as 

 ('. dilatata was much more prevalent. On the whole, the 

 Caladenias and the Thelymitras, with Glossodia major, seem 

 to be among the hardiest of our orchids and to resist most the 

 advances of civilization. 



One orchid that is fast disappearing from its usual resorts 

 is Spiranthes australis. This plant was formerly common. 

 growing in the moist tlats along the various upper reaches of 

 tin' Yarra in the Warburton district. In a few 3'ears past it was 

 easily possible to collect over one hundred flower-spikes in one 

 particular paddock; but this year— January — we considered 

 Ourselves fortunate in rinding only a dozen flower-spikes. 

 The paddocks have all been sown down with pasture grasses. 

 and sheep and cattle have been turned in to feed on the grass. 

 and incidentally on the orchids. Other areas, too. are being 

 drained and planted with fruit trees, so that here, soon, 

 Spiranthes australis will cease to exist. It would not have been 

 possible for us to collect even these dozen flower-heads only 

 that they were growing in Cyperus tussocks, in very wet and 

 swampy parts of tin- paddock. Several remains of plants were 

 found, the top-, of which had been eaten by the stock. In the 

 tussocks the plants were often three feet in height. 



Lyperanthus (Caladenia) suaveolens was missing from its home 

 in Croydon, apple and pear trees having taken its place; but 

 at Bayswater it is -till fairly frequent, and. notwithstanding 

 the dry season, some oi the spikes were very fine. 



An interesting reminiscence is the fact that Calochilus 

 campestre, in years gone by, was very prevalent, and was 

 frequently exhibited at the Club, while its mate. C Robertsoni, 

 was considered as uncommon. In 1884 Mr. f. French, sen.. 

 writing on our orchids, records C. campestre as becoming scarce, 

 while he had never collected C. Robertsoni. Nowadays we 

 frequently find C. Robertsoni, but very rarely ('. campestre. 

 Probably the former is the hardier ol the two. and so has been 

 less affected by the modern civilizing influences. 



