207 



Plant 3 to 7 in. high, with fibrous basal sheath and a 

 more or less globular bulb often compressed vertically. Fib- 

 rous remains of previous year's bulb still in contact with 

 new bulb. Stem rather fleshy, thicker, and more robust than 

 /'. ■niyrk-ansi. Leaf-like bract just below spike. 



Spike varies from A to 1^- in. ; expansion of flowers 

 rather irregular, beginning at base and ascending upwards, 

 but often in a spiral manner. Flowers rather crowded, 9 

 to 26, green or yellowish-green, with very dark labella, ses- 

 sile, each subtended by a minute ovate bract. 



Lateral sepals green, free, lanceolate, labellar surface 

 concave throughout, li lines, not widely diverging. 



Dorsal sepal, 1-i- lines, green, widely lanceolate, hooded, 

 with recurved point. 



Lateral petals green, with reddish mesial stripe, linear- 

 lanceolate, tipped with small pediculated glands, about 1 

 line. 



Labellum varies considerably in shape, even in flowers 

 on the same spike, more so than in any other Prasophyllum 

 which I have examined. It is sometimes quadrangular, 

 sometimes oblong, sometimes elliptical ; but the following 

 description is the net result of an examination of a very large 

 number of specimens : —Dark-reddish-brown, a little over 1 

 line long, oblong-ovate, very blunt, on a movable hinge, 

 tip slightly recurved, margins almost entire ; callous part 

 reaching nearly to tip, equal to membranous part with mesial 

 groove ; membranous part unusually thick ; not nearly so re- 

 curved as in P. nif/Hca/i-t : upper surface very glandular, con- 

 vex antero-posteriorly. 



Lateral appendages of column reddish-brown, triangu- 

 lar-lanceolate, with chelate tip, the posterior claw nearly or 

 quite equal to anterior in length ; higher than anther or 

 rostellum. 



Anther-point extremely short. 



Pollinia 2 ; caudicle about as long as pollinia. Por- 

 tion of column below stigma equal in length to pollinia. 



Stigmatic surface circular, just below rostellum. 



Arrangement of rostellum and method of fertilization 

 as in P. nigi'icans. 



Ovary about H lines, ellipsoidal, in apposition with 

 dorsal sepal. 



Lateral index about 56. 



Diagnosis from /'. nigricans: — Plant is more robust, and 

 the stem bract larger and more leafy. Flowers not nearly 

 so dark, being generally green with exception of labellum. 

 Spike more crowded. Lateral sepals less spreading, with ex- 



