341 



forwards. Dorsal sepal erect, cucullate, with short recurved 

 point about 3 mm. long; shorter than lateral sepals or petals. 

 Petals shorter than lateral sepals, with very short recurved 

 points; the posterior borders curved inwards and meeting each 

 other at the top in front of the dorsal sepal. 



Plants may occasionally be seen which reach a height 

 of 50 cm. 



P. turfosa, Endl. 



Western Australia : Tukurua, Miss Bryce Maclntyre, 

 28/9/11; York, O. H. Sargent, September, 1909; Albany, 

 Woogenellup and Pinjarra, Rogers, September and October, 

 1919; Diamond Tree School, near Jarnadup, Miss I. Knox- 

 Peden. 



Closely resembles P. harhata, Lindl. Labellum about 

 2'5 cm. long, filiform, with long lateral hairs and dark green 

 clavate point. The anterior margins of the galea are 

 contracted and in apposition aboat the middle, so as to form 

 two orifices, a larger one below through which the labellum 

 protrudes and a lesser one above through which the anther 

 may be seen. The upper angles of the column wings are 

 crossed in the live plant and a further barricade against the 

 ingress of an insect visitor to the sexual parts at this point 

 is provided by the hairs on the front of the hatchets. A 

 curious and interesting device forms a still further safeguard. 

 The margins of the galea above the point of contraction are 

 involuted; and in each of these involutions is a hair from 

 l"5-2o cm. long, attached below with the free end pointing 

 upwards and concealed in the point of the dorsal sepal. In the 

 young plant these two hairs may be liberated with a pin, but 

 when the flower is ready for fertilization they are 

 automatically released and cross each other in front of the 

 upper orifice. Though they ser^e as an impediment to an 

 insect attempting to enter this way, they nevertheless form no 

 obstacle to the egress of such a visitor which has gained 

 admission by the lower, and apparently authorized channel. 



P. vittata, Lindl. 



Western Australia : widely distributed over the southern 

 part of the State. 



The leaves are usually wider in the western forms than 

 in those growing in South Australia or Victoria, and the plant 

 is often quite green and devoid of the rufous tints which 

 characterize it in the two latter States. 



South Australia : The writer has seen specimens in which 

 the leaves of this species were variegated (white and green), 

 and the flowers white with heliotrope margins to the galea. 

 The effect was very beautiful. 



