86 GENERAL REMARKS ON THE 



CORYSANTHES FIMBRIATA. Tab. 10. 



Corysantbes fimbriata. Prodr.fl. nov. holL 328. 



In shady places, especially under rocks and large stones, near Sydney, and 

 in other parts of the colony of Port Jackson. 



DESC. Bulbus solitarius pisiformis radicem longam teretem fibris nonnullis 

 alternis simplicissimis instructam terminans. 



Folium unicuni, quasi radicale, sed caulem brevissimum demersum, basi 

 squama unica semivaginauti subovata acuta instructum terminans, subrotundum 

 mucrone brevissimo, basi alte cordata, lobis posticis rotundatis altero alteruin 

 equitante, explanatum horizontale, viride subtus dilutius, diametro subunciali, 

 venosum venis dichotomis crebre anastomozantibus in nervum margini approxi- 

 matum et parallelum desinentibus. Flos solitarius, pro ratione plantse magnus, 

 purpureus ; ovario intra folium subsessili postice bractea semilanceolata erecta 

 subtenso. Perianthium petaloideum sexpartitum ringens : Foliola tria exteriora^ 

 quorum Galea hyalina cum maculis crebris purpureis insequalibus, e basi erecti- 

 uscula arcuata angustiore, superne dilatata obovata magis concava porrecta, 

 apice incurvo, marginibus longitudinaliter nudis ; duo ant'ica cum lateralibus 

 iuteriorum labium inferius descendenti-porrectum efFormantia, subulata plana 

 alba immaculata, ipsis basibus invicem counatis : tria interiora^ quorum duo 

 lateralia anticis exteriorum similia, e basi brevi porrecta adscendentia. La- 

 bellum maximum unguiculatum indivisum ; twgue brevissimo erecto albo : 

 lamiiicB dimidio inferiore adscendenti galese basi appre«so, marginibus nudis 

 inflexis tubum completum efformante, intus nigro sanguineo sursum dilutiore, 

 paulo infra apicem albo virescenti rugoso subglaciuloso ; superiore dilatato 

 ovato concavo deflexo, dilute purpureo maculis numerosis confluentibus rufo- 

 sangaineis, disco intus paulo infra apicem glandulis sessilibus sparsis ornato 

 marginibus inflexis fimbriatis lacinulis subulatis sequalibus. 



Columna fr uctijicationis inclusa, brevissima, adscendens, alba carnosa, basi 

 parum coarctata, apice postice trifido dentibus lateralibus erectis subulatis in- 

 fill] termedio antherifero. Anthera mobilis ovata membranacea purpurascens 

 apice semibifido, unilocularis, apicem columnse incumbens. Massa Pollinis 4, per 

 paria cohserentes, farinacese, apicibus affixse glandule communi emarginaturam 

 stigmatis operienti. Ovaritim oblongum : Stylus cum basi columnse conferru- 

 minatus : Stigma solutum, horizontale subrotundum, antice concavum, apice 

 plica duplici coarctatum, antheree subparallelum. 



Ohs. The three species of which this genns at present 

 consists agree in their anthera being luiilocular after burst- 

 ing, in the singular relative proportions of the parts of the 

 perianthium, and in habit ; but in some points, generally 

 of importance in this order of plants, they differ very 

 remarkably, especially in the form oi the labellum, which 

 in one species is even furnished with a double calcar. 

 Corysanthes may therefore be considered as affording a 

 proof, and many others might be adduced, of the superior 

 miportance of certain modifications of the anthera to those 

 of the labellum in Orchid e?e. 



