Cheeseman. — On Pterostylis squamata in Few Zealand. 353 



ascertain definitely if tlie plant is abundant or rare in this, the only locality in 

 New Zealand of which we have now any certain knowledge of its occurrence. 

 It seems most probable, though, that it will prove to be far from common 

 although isolated specimens will doubtless be met with. 



Pterostylis squamata can be distinguished from its congeners in New 

 Zealand by the very obvious character of the lateral sepals being turned 

 downwards, instead of being erect. This distinction has been made use of to 

 divide the genus into two sections j the first, Antenncea^ to which the majority 

 of the Australian and New Zealand species belong, having the sepals erect ; 

 the second, Latochilus, which includes our plant, having them deflexed 

 Another excellent character is afibrded by the labellum, which is filiform and 

 hangs out of the mouth of the fiower. It is also clothed throughout its whole 

 length with copious golden-yellow hairs, except at the apex, where it bears a 

 curious large purple gland, which has been aptly compared to the head of a 

 nail. 



Although Pterostylis squamata is rare and local in New Zealand, it is 

 comparatively common in Tasmania, and is also found in Victoria and South- 

 western Australia. In this respect it agrees with Epacris purpurascens and 

 Leucopogon richei, both of which are abundant Australian plants^ and both of 

 which are confined to limited areas in New Zealand. 



It is worth remarking that the affinity existing between the temperate 

 Australian and New Zealand floras, easily recognised except in a few" 

 anomalous instances, is perhaps more clearly shown in the Orchidese of the two 

 countries, than in any other order of equal extent. Thus, in examining the 

 distribution of the eighteen genera found in New Zealand, we find that no less 

 than sixteen also occur in Australia, while the two remaining ones, although 

 peculiar to New Zealand, are yet closely related to Australian forms. This 

 result, striking in itself, becomes more so if we look closely into it, when it 

 appears that out of the sixteen, six are absolutely peculiar to the two countries, 

 and six others, although possessing outlying species in the Indian Archipelago 

 or Pacific Islands, yet plainly have their head-quarters in Australia and New 

 Zealand. Pterostylis is a good instance of this. It has twenty-four species in 

 Australia, and seven in New Zealand. One of the Australian species extends 

 into New Caledonia, but beyond this the genus is endemic in the two 

 countries. 



In the sixth volume of the Flora Australiensis, recently issued, I observe 

 that Mr. Bentham considers the true P. squamata of K. Brown to be a form 

 only of the P. rufa of the same author ; and the plant to which the specific 

 name of squamata has been, in many instances, applied by later botanists, 

 is referable to a species long ago described by Dr. Lindley. If this view 

 should meet with the general acceptation of botanists, as seems likely, our 

 l)lant will in future bear the name of Pterostylis harhata^ Lindley. 



Ul 



