Plate 199.— COKYSANTHES xMATTHEWSll aj.i> 

 OOKYSANTHES OBLOJS(iA. 



Family ORCllIDACE^.J [Genus CORYSANTHES, R. Br 



Corysanthes Matthewsii, Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. 1ml. xxxi (1899), 351 ; Man. N.Z. Fl. 693. 



Corysanthes oblonga, Hook., j. Ilandb. N.Z. Fl. 694 ; Cheesein. Man. N.Z. Fl. 691. 



Corysanthes Maltheivsii is one of the discoveries of the late Mr. R. H. 

 Matthews, of Kaitaia, who during a residence of many years in the extreme 

 north of the Dominion paid special attention to the OrchidacecB, and who 

 added several species to the flora C. Matthewsii was first gathered in the 

 vicinity of Kaitaia in 1898; but it has since been found by Mr. H. Carse 

 at Fairburn, between Kaitaia and Mongonui, where it is not uncommon on 

 shaded mossy slopes. It has also been collected by Mr. A. Thompson at 

 Aponga, inland from Whangarei. No doubt it will be found in other localities, 

 for it is not easy to exhaust the orchid-flora of any district, particularly as 

 regards the smaller terrestrial* species. Their period of bloom, during which 

 alone they can be positively recognized, is but short; and their habitats are 

 often of a recluse and sequestered nature. 



C. Matthewsii is much more closely allied to C. oblonga than any other 

 species, but can be at once distinguished by the rather larger flowers; by the 

 much smaller lateral sepals and petals, which are never more than half the 

 length of the upper sepal, whereas in C. oblonga they are more than twice as 

 long; and by the margin of the lip being either quite smooth or very 

 obscurely denticulated, while the disc is furnished with a thickened patch of 

 close-set deflexed hairs. G. Carsei, a species which I have lately described from 

 the same district, is also allied; but its flower is longer and often conspicuously 

 deflexed, the dorsal sepal is narrower, and the lip has a curious projecting 

 lamina at its tip. 



According to Sir J. D. Hooker, Corysanthes oblonga. was originally dis- 

 covered by Allan Cunningham; but, if so, it is curious that it was not included 

 in his " Precursor." It was, however, collected at nearly the same time by 

 Mr. Edgerley in some locality in the North Island, by Mr. Colenso at the Bay 

 of Islands, and by Colonel Haultain in the vicinity of Auckland. Subsequent 

 research has proved that it extends throughout the whole length of the 

 Dominion, from the North Cape district southwards to Stewart Island and 

 the Auckland Islands. It is usually found on moist mossy declivities in 

 shaded forests, and although common at sea-level it ascends as high as 2,500 ft. 

 I have already pointed out the differences between it and its nearest ally, 

 C. Matthetvsii. 



The genus Corysanthes contains about thirty-five species. It attains its 

 southern limit in New Zealand, where eight species are now known. It 

 stretches northwards through Australia to New Guinea, the Himalaya Moun- 

 tains, and the Philippine Islands; and eastwards as far as Tahiti. It has, 

 therefore, the characteristic distribution of most of the genera of the New 

 Zealand Orchidacem. 



Pl.-vte 199a. Corysanthes Matthewsii, drawn from specimens collected by Mr. R. H. Matthews 

 La the vicinity of Kaitaia, Mongonui County. Fig. 1, side view of flower (x 4) ; 2, dorsal sepal (x 4) ; 

 3, lip spread open (x 4) ; 4, column (x 6). 



Plate 199b. Corysanthes oblonga, drawn from specimens collected by Mr. R. H. Matthews in 

 che vicinity of Kaitaia. Fig. 5, side view of flower (x 4) ; 6, lip spread open (x 4) ; 7 front view of 

 column (x 6) ; 8, side view of same (x 6). 



