326 



with. P. regium, Rogers, a labellum with a thin membranous 

 inner plat© with free margins. It may be immediately- 

 distinguished from these, however, by its voluminous crisped 

 outer plate. It shares this latter feature with two other large 

 Prasopliyllums indigenous to Western Australia, viz., 

 P. Fimhria, Reich, f., and P. australe, Br., and also with a 

 South Australian form, P. odoratiim, Rogers. The first of 

 these possesses a conspicuously fringed inner plate and within 

 this, again another well-marked plate. The second has a 

 very acutely flexed labellum, with a prominently raised inner 

 plate, the margins of which are not free, and which scarcely 

 reaches beyond the bend in the labellum. The third has an 

 acutely flexed labellum with an inner plate not conspicuously 

 raised, the margins of which are not free. In these three 

 orchids there exists a still further difference in the much 

 shorter columnar lateral appendages which do not exceed the 

 rostellum in height. 



The inner plate has free margins in P. elatum, Br., but 

 not of the membranous type, and the margin of the outer 

 plate beyond this is quite narrow. 



Western Australia must be regarded as the home of the 

 giant Prasopliyllums, which are evidently more numerous than 

 was formerly supposed. Some of these reach extraordinary 

 heights when compared with some of the diminutive members 

 of the genus, which do not exceed 2 or 3 inches. Quite 

 recently the writer sav7 on the Upper Kalgan River, in W.A., 

 a specimen of P. elatuiiL, which reached the height abo\e the 

 ground of 5 feet 4 J inches (aboat 161 cm.), mth a stem at 

 least an inch in diameter. It was absolutely erect and with 

 other plants of the same species constituted an imposing^ 

 feature of the landscape. 



Microtis teuncata, n. sp. 



Specimens incomplete, the leaf -lamina being absent. 



A plant of slender habit. Spike nearly 24 cm. long^ 

 bearing about 40 distant flowers. 



Flowers light coloured, shortly pedicellated, subtended by 

 a small awn-like bract reaching a little above the base of the 

 ovary. Pedicel slender, about 2 mm. long. Ovary (without 

 the pedicel) about 5 mm. long, much twisted. 



Lateral sepals tightly revolute, oblong-lanceolate, about 

 2*5 mm. long by '6 mm. broad; dorsal sepal ovate, cucuUate, 

 apex acute and slightly recurved, erect, about 375 mm. long 

 by about 25 mm. in its widest part. Lateral petals erect, 

 bluntly linear -falcate, about 275 mm. long and considerably 

 narrower than the petals. 



