THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 49 
me. Cultivation same, I should think, as that recommended for 
former species. 
P. patens, (R. Brown.) 
A very pretty, and in some districts common sp., to be found on 
flats, particularly those bordering on ranges near Dandenong, 
Frankston, Dromana, Mt. Macedon, Grampians, Marysville, &c. 
To those who collect orchids as an instructive and pleasurable 
pastime, this sp. will be not difficult to distinguish, principally 
because of its abundance, although being variable, it may easily, to 
an ordinary observer, be mistaken for either P. alpinum or fuscum. 
The flowers for the size of the plant being somewhat small, of a 
yellowish green colour, the labellum being bordered with white 
(a point in the recognition of this sp. which should not be over- 
looked.) Labellum as long as the petals, sessile atthe base. To 
grow it well use good strong yellow loam, keep damp, with always 
good drainage. Place say twelve tubers in a shallow pot or pan, 
and with very little care these will flower very abundantly. In 
growing specimens of this genus, I had almost omitted to mention 
that they should have as much air as possible, otherwise, as with 
most other plants, they become weak and “drawn,” and thus lose 
much of their hardiness and beauty. Flowers in January and 
February. Height 6 inches to 2 feet. Found also in Queensland, 
New South Wales, Tasmania, and South Australia. P. truncatum 
seems to be identical with this sp. 
P. ruscum, (R. Brown.) 
A variable species nearly allied to some forms of P. patens, 
usually rather smaller with smaller flowers, and the sepals and petals 
narrow and darker coloured, but the extreme forms of the two 
species only to be distinguished by the labellum. Here we again 
find our difficulties, the descriptions given by Bentham of P. patens 
seems to so closely resemble this plant that the detection of such 
differences must be done by a most practised eye, or else confusion 
will be certain to arise. We must however, ‘flounder about” and 
do our best should we come across this sp. to compare the specimens 
and should we fail, it would be no great disgrace, seeing by the 
synonomy of these curious plants, how many greater than we 
have been temporarily mistaken. And whileI am getting thus ‘‘ mixed” 
in my ideas, I cannot help thinking (and I am sure most of you 
will agree with me,) that without wishing in the slightest to 
blame our scientific zoologists here, that had the Zoology of 
Australia been as well worked out as the botany has been, by 
Baron von Mueller, there would have been little occasion for Mr. 
Caldwell, (or anyone else) coming to Australia to work out the 
