129 



flower. Lateral pefals bluntly linear, erect, much shorter 

 than the dorsal sepal, by which they are generally hidden. 

 Lahellum about same length as dorsal sepal, oblong with wide 

 blunt tip, latter generally slightly emarginate ; pinched later- 

 ally ; margins crenulated, almost entire; lamina with two 

 basal callosities and one near tip, traversed by three parallel 

 longitudinal nerves. Column short, anther not pointed, 

 auricles large and prominent. 



This species differs from M . porri folia in its much more 

 slender form, its smaller flowers, and ver^^ attenuated inflor- 

 escence. It differs also in the shape of the labellum, which is 

 very much narrower and of fairly uniform width throughout, 

 with square corners to the tip ; whereas in the other species 

 it is very much wider at the tip than the base, and the corners 

 of the tip are rounded. The anther is pointless in M . parvi- 

 floia, it is acuminate in porrifolia ; also the auricles are very 

 much more conspicuous in the former than in the latter species. 

 Variety densiflora is a very much shorter and stouter form 

 from 4 in. to 7 in. high, generally growing in colonies. The 

 spike is very densely crowded, and in outward appearance the 

 two forms look very different. Structurally, however, the 

 flowers are the same. 



Both the attenuated and dense forms were found growing 

 in great numbers at Mount Compass about the middle of 

 December. Since then I have found the attenuated form at 

 Bridgewater during the same month. 



