Lridee.] FLORA OF TASMANIA. 33 
Sarcochilus of Australia and New Zealand. —Gunnia australis, the only known species, is a small Epiphyte, almost 
stemless, with numerous tufted, very long, flattened, tortuous, filiform roots, often a foot long, that spread along 
the decayed twigs of the shrubs in which it grows, or are pendulous in the air.— Leaves three to five, coriaceous, 
linear-lanceolate, acuminate, falcate, 2-4 inches long, with numerous parallel veins, jointed on to the stem. Raceme 
about as long as the leaves, six- to ten-flowered. Flowers yellow, spreading, pedicelled, about 4 inch broad, very 
sweet-scented, like honeysuckle. Sepals oblong-lanceolate; the dorsal erect; lateral connate with the long claw 
of the labellum, spreading. Petals lanceolate, free, ascending. Zabellum with a long, prominent unguis, bearing 
at its apex a small, tuberculate disc, which expands into a three-lobed lamina, formed of two incurving, broad- 
oblong, lateral lobes, and a smaller, oblong, emarginate middle lobe. Column very short. Anther terminal, hemi- 
spherical, two-celled. Pollen-masses appearing to be only two, and globose, but each formed of a closely combined 
pair, attached to a strap-shaped caudicle, which unites them to the top of the stigma. (Named in honour of R. C. 
Gunn, Esq., F.R.S., of Tasmania.) 
1. Gunnia australis (Lindl. in Bot. Reg. n. 1699). (Guan, 436.) (Tas. CXXVIII.) 
Haz. On the trunks and branches of bushes and small trees in dense forests at Emu Bay, Black 
River, Circular Head, Great Swan Port, ete., Backhouse, Milligan, Gunn.—(Fl. March.) 
Prare CXXVIIL Fig. 1, flower; 2, column, anther, and pollen; 3, the same, with anther and pollen re- 
moved; 4 and 5, upper and lower side of anther-case; 6, pollen; 7, transverse section of ovary :—all magnified. 
Nat. On». Il. IRIDEA. 
Upwards of thirty /ridee have been discovered in extratropical Australia, of which only one or two 
advance northward into the tropic. They belong to three genera, of which one only, Libertia, is extra- 
Australian, being found in New Zealand and Chili. By far the greater number of species are inhabitants 
of South-western Australia, and only one or two are common to that and the south-eastern quarter. 
"Gen. I. PATERSONIA, Br. 
Perianthium petaloideum, regulare, hypocrateriforme, tubo gracili; limbi sexpartiti laciniis interioribus 
minutis. Stamina 3, filamentis connatis. Stylus capillaceus. Stigmata 9, lamellata, indivisa. Capsula 
polysperma, spathis tecta. —Herbe perennes; radice fibrosa; caule subnullo ; foliis equitantibus, ensiformi- 
bus ; scapo simplici, ebracteato; spatha esteriore bivalvi, spathas partiales unifloras confertas includente ; 
floribus sensim erumpentibus, fugacibus, ceruleis, immaculatis; seminibus sepius angulis internis loculi, 
nunc columne centrali, affizis. 
The plants of this genus, of whtich about twenty-four are known, are for the most part very beautiful, but 
owing to the exceedingly fugacious corolla, are difficult of preservation in a good state for after examination. 
glauca, the only common Tasmanian species, is a perfectly glabrous, rigid herb, 1-1} foot high, with fibrous roots, 
very short rhizome, and equitant, linear, sword-shaped, rigid, pungent leaves, 6-18 inches long and 4 broad, 
slightly convex on both surfaces, and roughish at the margin, enclosed in sheathing, brown scales at the base. 
Scape very much shorter than the leaves, 1-3 inches long. Outer spathe of two equal, lanceolate, glabrous leaves, 
1 inch long, containing several, much narrower, scarious, shining, red-brown bracts, of equal length, each of which 
encloses a flower. Perianth with a very slender tube, and six-lobed, regular limb, of which the alternate lobes are 
very minute, pale blue; larger lobes rounded-obovate. Style erect, short, with three broad, spreading, foliaceous, 
stigmatic lobes. Capsule prismatic, linear, shorter than the spathe, three-valved ; valves leaving a slender, erect, 
central column, to which the seeds are attached. Seeds linear-ovoid, dark red-brown, shining, polished, with a con- 
spicuous white funiculus.—Gunn considers that there are two Tasmanian species, but the shrivelled state of the 
corolla of his specimens prevents me from determining this point. (Named ìn honour of Colonel William Paterson, 
a sedulous investigator of New South Wales botany.) 
VOL. II. K 
