BY L. RODWAY. 183 
Tasmanian plant, chiefly through its extreme variability not 
being recognised. One of its forms that I here refer to as 
var. glabrum would certainly deserve to be considered distinct 
were it not for the numerous intermediate forms. 
Stems erect from a creeping rhizome, simple at least below 
the inflorescence, 6 inches to 1 foot high; bracts sheathing 
but loose, smooth, $ to $ inches long, with a truncated usually 
woolly apex. Spikelets usually few in an interrupted spike 
or rarely panicle, sometimes solitary. Males ¢to § inch long, 
narrow oblong, the glumes with a woolly tip when young. 
Perianth flat, about 2 lines long, the outer side segments 
complicate, heeled, and woolly towards the apex. Females 
broadly oblong to spherical, ¢ inch long; perianth 1} lines 
long, side segments complicate but not heeled; ovary about 
1 line long with very short curved styles, flat. Staminodia 
seldom present. 
Syn. R. monocephalus (R. Br.). 
Common or damp heaths. 
Var. intermedius.—Similar to the type, only the female as 
well as the male spikelets are narrow-oblong, and the styles 
are about as long as the ovary, often attaining 1 to 2 feet, and 
generally much branched. 
Kingston, Longley, ete. 
Var. glabrum.—Similar in general details to the type, but 
without the woolly tips to the bracts, glumes and perianth 
segments; seldom exceeding 6 inches, and fairly consistently 
bearing but one spikelet. Bracts sheathing at the base, but 
loose and spreading, striate } to ? inch long; the apex 3-lobed, 
the central lobe 1 to 3 lines long, subulate, the side ones 
shorter and membranous. Spikelets as in the type, but both 
sexes narrow-oblong. Male perianth about 1 line long, flat. 
Female perianth about 1 line long, the outer segments 
slightly complicate; ovary 3 to + line long, the style, long, 
slender, much exceeding it. Staminodia always present. 
Near Kingston, on wet heaths. 
On THE AFFINITY OF THELYMITRA [XIOIDES AND Its ALLIES. 
This group of terrestrial orchids, commonly termed native 
Hyacinth, consists of very numerous forms, differing but 
slightly from one another. As inall variable groups, this bas 
given rise to numerous names adopted for marked variations, 
many of which research has rendered obsolete. In the 
present day the tendency is to follow Bentham and Miller, 
and sort the group immediately related to 7. ixioides into six 
Species, namely:—Z’. iwioides, Suz.; J. aristata, Lind.; T. 
longifolia, Forst.; T. carnea, R. Br.; T. cyanea, Lind.; and T. 
venosa, R. Br. None of these can be considered well fixed 
