THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 55 



Tasmania. I am acquainted Avith only one other species, wliich I 

 show you here tliis evening, this being from New Zealand. Flowers 

 in Deceml)er and ■ianuary. 



Spiranthes (Eich.) 



Dorsal sepal and petals erect, lateral sepal free and more spread- 

 ing, all nearly equal, labellum sessile or nearly so, embracing the 

 column by its broad base, column short, with a small, erect appen- 

 dage or lobe on each side, anther erect, pollen masses 4, granular 

 or mealy, sessile on a gland, rostellum short, bifid, terrestrial, 

 herbs, with oblong, underground tubers, or thick clustered fibres, 

 flowers small, spirally arranged in a terminal spike, stems leafy, or 

 sometimes at the time of flowering with sheathing scales only. 



Spiranthes australis (Lindley.) A very pretty, and in Victoria, 

 somewhat rare species. The rhizome is short, stem glabrous, (seems 

 even more so under cultivation,) lower leaves linear, or narrow 

 lanceolate, spike spiral very dense, flowers sessile, pink and -vrhite, 

 aepals and petals varying from 1| to 2 lines in length, labellum 

 as long as the sepals. I may say that until the last season for 

 Orchids, I had never been so fortunate as to find this species 

 myself, and I am indebted to my friend, C. Schlipaulis, of the 

 Botanic Gardens, for my first specimen, also for the information as 

 to the locality where it was found by him, and after an unsuccessful 

 attempt for a whole day, I was at last ri^warded by finding a fine 

 patch containing many good specimens, some of which were dried, 

 and the remainder grown for the collection of living specimens. I 

 may mention that this species cannot be mistaken for any other, 

 because of its very singular spiral spike. I have found it growing 

 on wet heathy flats, amongst rushes, and care should be taken by 

 the ordinary observer, that Stylidium gramivifolium is not mistaken 

 for it, as at first sight it somewhat resembles the latter pretty and 

 well-known plant. To grow it well, it should be placed in black 

 sandy loam with plenty of fibre and an abundant supply of clean 

 water. This species should, if well grown (say 6 or S tubers in a 

 pot), make a very pretty pot plant. Flowers in January and part 

 of February. It is a cosmopolitan species, and is found in Queens- 

 land, Ifew South Wales, Tasmania, also in New Zealand, and in 

 part of tropical and temperate Asia, extending to some parts of 

 Europe. Neottia Australis of Brown, is synonymous with this 

 species. 



Calochilus (R. Brown.) 



Dorsal sepal erect, rather broad, concave, lateral sepals about as 

 long, broadly lanceolate, spreading, petals shorter, broadly falcate, 

 labellum as long or longer, the margin and whole surface densely 

 fringed, except a narrow terminal point or ligula, column short, with 

 a rather broad wing, anther bent forNvard at the base, pollen masses 

 granular, terrestrial herbs, with ovoid tubers, leaf usually solitary, 

 long and narrow, flowers few, in a terminal raceme. 



1. Calochilus campcstris ( R, Brown.) This beautiful Orchid is, 



