2'25 



Description of a New Caladenia. 



By R. S. Rogers, M.A.. M.D. 



[Read October 2, 1906.] 



Plate XI. 



Mr. E. Ashby, of this Society, has handed me au orchid 

 which he collected at Blackwood on September 16 of this year 

 (1906). 



It was blooming at a time when Glossodia inajor 

 and Caladtiiia dtformis were both fairly numerous in the 

 vicinity, the former being at the beginning of its season, and 

 the latter at the end. No other Caladenias were in flower, un- 

 less, perhaps, an isolated G. patersoni. 



In habit and general appearance the new form so closely 

 resembled the two species first mentioned, that it was unlikely 

 to attract attention, unless by accident, or by a critical exa- 

 mination of the plants in its neighbourhood. 



The following is its botanical description : — 



Height, 8 inches. 



Stem, slightly hairy. Two bracts, one fairly large and 

 sheathing near the middle of the stem, the other smaller and 

 subtending the flower. 



Leaf almost glabrous; lanceolate wdth cuneate base, about 

 4 inches long by ^-inch in its widest part. 



Flower solitary, dark blue in colour, about the size of a 

 well-developed Glossodia major. Segments of the perianth 

 elliptic-lanceolate, nearly equal. Dorsal sepal 1 inch long, 

 other segments rather less. 



LaheUum entire, |-inch long, dark blue, softly glandular, 

 subsessile; distal end recurved, proximal half concave. Two 

 well-defined rows of golf-stick calli extend from the base to 

 about the middle of the labellum. Filaments purple, ex- 

 tremities white. Four tall sentinel calli (about J -inch high) 

 of the same type, and attached to the base of the labellum, 

 stand up vertically in front of the column. They constitute 

 the most striking feature of the plant. 



Column nearly as long as labellum, incurved, broadly 

 winged in upper half, narrowly winged below. Dorsal sur- 

 face pubescent. Anther point nearly a line long, slightly 

 recurved. 



A few days later another plant w^as discovered close to 

 the first find. It conformed in every particular to the above 

 description, except that the double row of calli was absent, 

 leaving only the four sentinel calli on the labellum. 



