THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 61 



many fine plants from different pai-ts of Australia. It has completely 

 puzzled me to account for such a sliowy and comparatively common 

 plant, having so long escaped the observation of others as well as 

 myself, as I thought I had thoroughly exhausted the Brighton district, 

 where Mr. Walters found it in numbers. Baron von Mueller 

 thinks that its early time of flowering may account for it, 

 but I cannot share in his opinion, because it remains in bloom as 

 long, if not longer than any other of our Victorian orchids. I, of 

 course, agree with the Baron so far as the case of Eriochiliis 

 jimbriatus is concerned, because this, although very common, is a 

 much less showy sj) than the former. P. vittata may be easily 

 distinguished by its very curved hood, dark red color, shining leaves, 

 and rigid stem, almost as stiff and erect as in P. longifoJia. It 

 should be looked for on the slopes of Brighton Beach, amongst the 

 Ti-tree, (this information is supplied with the hope that only a few 

 specimens may be taken as required, and not to exhaust the supply, 

 which is already becoming limited.) Culture, same as that of P. 

 lonqifolia. Flowers from May to October. Height from 6 to 18 

 inches. Found also in New South Wales, Tasmania, and South 

 Australia. 



(^To be continued.^ 



DESCRIPTION OF A SPECIES OF PYCNARRHENA 

 FROM NORTH-EASTERN AUSTRALIA, 



By Bakon von Mueller, K.C.M.G., M. & Ph.D., F.R.S. 



Pycnarrhena Australiana. 



High-climbing; leaves large, on short stalkes, ovate or elliptical,, 

 protracted into a short and blunt apex, quite glabrous; peduncles. 

 few or several or many together, rather elongated, very thin, almost 

 eymosely branched at and near the summit, minutely appressed- 

 hairy ; sepals almost orbicular, in three rows, the outer three con- 

 siderably shorter, the other six nearly equal in length and these 

 much sur2:)assing the almost rhomboid petals ; stamens very short ;. 

 filaments nearly cuneate, at the base united ; fruitlets obliquely ovate- 

 globidar, on an extremely short stipes. 



Near the Endeavour-River ;• W. Persieh Near Trinitj^-Bay; 

 Karsten. 



Leaves (as far as seen) attaining a length of 11 and a width of 

 5 inches, thick-chartaceous, shining on both sides, hardly paler 



