52 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



direct rays of the sun. It is well worthy of a place in every 

 collection of native orchids. Flowers about November, is very 

 generally distributed throughout the colony, and is found also 

 in S. and W. Australia, and in Tasmania. Leptoceras Menziesii, 

 Caladeniamacrophylla, Leptoceras macrophylla, and L. oblonga 

 are synonyms of this sp. 



Sect. 3. — Calonema. 

 Sepals acuminate, with long or short points. Labellum 

 inconspicuously veined, the disk with 2 or more rows of calli. 



C. Patersoni. (R. Brown.) 



More or less hairy, and from under i foot to nearly 2 feet 

 high, the upper portion and flowers often minutely glandular- 

 pubescent. Leaf oblong-linear or lanceolate. Flowers i, 2, 

 sometimes 3. Sepals more or less dilated in the lower part, 

 tapering into a long point. Petals shorter, and not dilated at 

 the base, or rarely as long as the sepals. Labellum rarely half as 

 long as the sepals. Calli numerous, linear or clavate. Column 

 as the erect portion of the labellum, shortly winged at the apex. 

 Anther point usually prominent. 



This charming sp., a gem amongst the native orchids, is too 

 well known to need any further description than the excellent 

 one which I have, as usual, abbreviated from Bentham and 

 Mueller's great work. I may, however, say that this is the 

 most variable of the whole of the orchids w:hich I have seen, 

 either Australian or exotic; the shapes differing and the colours 

 ranging from the purest white to the deepest and darkest 

 crimson. I have adopted R. Brown's specific name of Patersoni 

 not because I think it better, or even as good, as that used by 

 Baron von Mueller, viz., pulcherrima — a term which it well 

 deserves — but because I commenced with the Flora Austra- 

 liensis, and shall finish with it. This orchid has puzzled some 

 of our best botanists, and the one who reduces a number 

 of varieties to one good species certainly deserves the thanks of 

 all, whether they be amateur or professional ; and thus the 

 great value of a well-kept herbarium is apparent, as supplying 

 numerous specimens showing the gradations — a source of prac- 

 tical information to the botanist which such a collection alone 

 can supply. This sp. is to be found pretty generally distributed 

 over the whole colony, the larger and more beautiful forms being 

 chiefly found in land bordering on forests. It is known to 

 colonists by the not at all inapt name of the spider-orchid, but 

 as we do not, as a rule, favour common names if absurd, I shall 

 not allude to its numerous peculiarities in this respect. This 

 sp. is of easy cultivation, that is if the tubers (which must be 

 lifted very carefully) are not bruised. Place them in a pot, well 

 drained, in sand or sandy-loam, with a little leaf-mould. Water 



