76 THE VICTORIAN JTATUliALIST. 



OECHIDE.E OF VICTORIA. 



By C French, F.L.S., Department of Government Botanist. 



Part 10. 



Caleya, (Eudlicher.) 

 Sepals and petals all linear, the dorsal sepal erect, the lateral sepals 

 and petals spireacling or reflexed. Labellum articulate at the base 

 of the column or at the end of its basal projection, and movable, 

 with a linear incurved claw. Column elongated. Antlier erect, 

 not mucronate. Pollen masses granular. Tubers large for size of 

 tlie plant, Leaf linear-lanceolate or oblong. Flowers 1 to 8, or 

 rarely 4. The genus is, as Mr. Bentham remarks, limited to 

 Australia, and is readih^ known by the large petal-like wings of the 

 column, forming a kind of pouch, open or closed by the elastic 

 motions of the lid-like labellum. 



C. Major, (R. Brown.) 

 Leaf radical linear or narrow-lanceolate, 2 to 4 inches long, stem 

 often 1 foot or more high, with a closely appressed empty sheatliing 

 bract below the middle. Dorsal sepal narro (v-linear, rather thick 

 and channelled. Labellum long. Stigma obscurely 2-pointed. 

 This' interesting and curious orciiid is one which cannot fail to 

 attract the attention of plant collectors, as its singular shape and 

 appearance render it of easy detection.. In the beautiful and flower- 

 coveied flats bordering on Mt. William, at the Grampians, I had 

 the good fortune to see my first specimen of this cliarming little 

 plant, which was growing in company with that superb plant, 

 Calectaftia cyanea, in nearly pure white sand, its darl^: flower, and 

 darker green leaf standing out in striking relief. Mr, D. Sullivan, 

 F.L.S., of Moyston, to whom I am indebted for a friendly and most 

 enjoyable drive to this jilace, infoj-ms me that it is common on the 

 sandy flats near these mountains, and I have since found it at 

 Oakleigli, and further on the railway line towards ]\Iulgrave, in Ijoth 

 of these places the plants grew in the most out of the way places, 

 and it was quite by accident, while looking for an insect, that I 

 came across them. ]t will be quite unnecessary to give any further 

 description of tliis plant, as the very excellent one given above, and 

 taken from the " Flora Australiensis" of Bentham and Mueller, 

 will enable anyone to recognise it at a glance. I have observed that 

 the leaves of this species ar« covered with black dots, and this seems 

 to be very constant in all the specimens which I have collected. To 

 grow it well, use almost pure sand, with a little bog soil chopped up, 

 and added. Water well, and place several tubers in a pot or pan, 

 the latter being the most suitable. This sjk flowers about November, 

 «nd sometimes even later on. Caleana major of R. Brown, is 



