The South Australian specimens, in common with those from 

 the other Australian States, appear to differ somewhat from 

 the New Zealand form in being more slender and in possessing 

 fewer leaves. 



The general morphology of this plant is so well known 

 that it is sufficient to say in explanation of what follows that 

 from a subterranean storage tuber a cylindrical stem is pro- 

 duced, crowned by a whorl of linear-subulate leaves. From 

 the stem there arise exogenously 1-3 horizontal, unbranched 

 roots. There is also produced each year at the end of a stalk 

 one new storage tuber. The plant may produce a short cone 

 borne terminally on a peduncle about thrice the length of the 

 leaves. 



The plants generally occur gregariously. In order that 

 an accurate idea of the composition of the Phylloglossum 

 population might be obtained, three typical areas were 



Phylloglossum Drummondii. Six-leaved plant with two roots, 

 the full length of one of which is shown in its natural position. 

 The very numerous root hairs are merely indicated diagrammatic- 

 ally as are the hairs on the new tuber. Camera lucida outline x2£. 



selected and about 100 sq. cms. of surface soil removed from 

 each to the laboratory. There the sods were carefully washed 

 and the individual plants dissected out. The observations here 

 recorded are thus based to a great extent upon a complete 

 census of all the individuals in certain areas and not upon 

 picked plants. In all 184 plants were counted from the 300 

 sq. cms. of soil examined. The following points seem worthy 

 of note in connection with the occurrence of the plant in the 

 field : — 



(a) Though the course of the roots is described as 



horizontal, many of the published figures hardly bear this 



out, possibly because they have been drawn from spirit or 



herbarium material. Thomas (12: p. 291) says: "Its roots 



b2 



