78 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST, 



recognised from the other sj^. of tlie genus, principally by the tail- 

 like extension of the dorsnl sepal, which is very curious and distinct. 

 Ill the specimens Avhich I have seen, tlic flo^vers are of a light 

 transparent purjilish red, and not dark as stated above, although 

 possibly the specimens from ^vhich the originals Avere described, may 

 have been so. In looking for it, the search must be made in a very 

 careful manner, as it grows in the most sheltered and obscure places 

 near the fern gullies, and seems to shrink from the light. The 

 leaves are somewhat different from A. exsertus, being not so cordate 

 as in that sj)., and without the purplish tint which is so constant a 

 character in the latter plant. To grow it, place in a shallow pan, 

 well drained, and amongst leaf mould, moss, and sand, place your 

 tubers to the depth of one inch. Water sparingly, and keep from 

 direct exposure to either the sun or wind. It is worth growing 

 simply as a botanical plant, or to complete a collection. Flowers 

 in [November and December. Found in New South Wales, and 

 said to be common in Tasmania. 



A. EX8ERTU8, (E. Brown.) 

 A slender, delicate plant, much resembling A. fornicatus, but 

 smaller. Leaf deeply cordate. Flowers rather smaller, 3 to 6 in a 

 raceme, the pedicels very short. Dorsal sepal slightly incurved, 

 concave but narrow and much contracted at the base. Labellum 

 nearly as long as the sepals. Column slender, not winged, about 

 half as long as the sepals, incurved, and protruding forwards from 

 the dorsal sepal. 



This very common little plant may be found in large numbers, 

 growing amongst the Ti-tree which lines the coast nearly throughout 

 the colony. It is an early sp., flowering sometimes in August. It 

 is very easily distinguished from any of the little orchids which grow 

 near it, principally by its d;.rk, heart-sliaped leaf, the under part 

 purple. This sp. was long known to most of us as A fornicatuSy 

 but (if late years the error has been pointed out by the Baron, the 

 former ,<yj. not liaving as yet, I believe, been found in Victoria, 

 although it is quite possible that some of our energetic members 

 may yet add it to the list of our Victorian orchids. To grow it, 

 procure a large number of tubers, and a pan of leaf mould and sand, 

 place the tubers about an inch, or even less, below the surface, water 

 well, and keej) shaded until it makes its appearance above ground, 

 Tvhere it can be then gradually used to more exposure, although, as 

 a rule, it is a shade-loving plant. In the fern gullies, I have noticed 

 that the leaves are quite green, the purple tinge so common on the 

 nnder part of the leaves of plants, growing in more exposed and 

 less moist situations, being entirely absent, so that this character 

 cannot always be relied upon. Found also in New South Wales, 

 South Australia, and Tasmania, 



