208 



treniities fluted and not conical as in P. nir/ricaiis. Petals 

 nuich nari"ower (linear-lanceolate as contrasted with triangu- 

 lar-lanceolate in the other form), and very constantly with 

 well-marked pedicellated glands at their extremities. Label- 

 lum much blunter, shorter, membranous portion much 

 thicker. Lateral appendages relatively longer, exceeding the 

 level of rostellum and anther, the two claws equal or nearly 

 equal, whereas in F. nigricans the anterior claw is generally 

 much longer than the posterior. Anther-point extremely 

 short or almost absent, whereas it is well marked in the 

 other sjDecies. It grows at sea-level, and yet blooms later 

 than P. nigricans at a considerable elevation. Flowers ex- 

 pand generally in a spiral manner from below upwards, 

 whereas in P. nigricans they expand uniformly from below. 



Blooms late in April or early in May. 



It has been recorded only from Yorke Peninsula, where 

 it is very numerous, growing in sandy soil, sometimes quite 

 \x\ the open, sometimes under shade of mallee or dry brush- 

 wood. 



3. P. Australe, R. Br. PL viii., ligs. 1 to 7. 



This species is adequately described by Bentham. In 

 Fitzgerald's work, however, the name is attached to the illus- 

 tration of a remarkable Prasophyllum, which its author 

 claims to represent the first specimen of this species found 

 in New South Wales. The plant illustrated is quite un- 

 familiar to me, and is evidently a new species. The two leaf- 

 like bracts on the stem, the labellum, and column are wholly 

 unlike P. Australe. A fairly satisfactory illustration of this 

 species is to be found in Hooker's "Fl. Tas.," vol. ii., pi. 110, 

 under the title of P. liitescens. In this plate, however, the 

 lateral appendages are shown without any evidence of a basal 

 lobe. This is not quite correct, for although the basal lobe 

 is often rudimentary, being sometimes represented by 2 or 

 3 crenulations on the lower posterior border of the appen- 

 dage, they are always in evidence and sometimes reach a fair 

 size. The removal of the disc from the top of the rostellum 

 makes a considerable difference in the height of the latter, 

 as the disc is unusually large and fleshy in this species. It 

 is received into a triangular depression in the anterior aspect 

 of the top of the rostellum, in the upper border of which 

 is a notch through which the caudicle passes to the pollinia. 

 The caudicle is rather long. In older flowers it is often 

 found cvirled forward like a watch spring, with its polliniar 

 end pointing close to the stigma. I can conceive that self- 

 fertilization would be quite possible in this plant, although 

 on account of the relative positions of the column and label- 



