264 THE ORCHID REVIEW. [SEPTEMBER, 1922- 
plants outside on warm nights when many insects were flying about, 
found that they were left severely alone, though Goodyera repens in 
the same house was extremely well pollinated. It, therefore, seems 
probable that the necessary insect was absent. In spite of their fragrance, 
the flowers proved unattractive to local insects. By inserting a pencil into 
the flower, the pollinia are easily withdrawn. When the flower first opens, 
the column lies close to the trough of the lip, and only the tips of the 
pollinia, which lie on the upper surface of the rostellum, and the brown 
front of the anther are visible. Later, the column moves up from the lip, 
when the under surface of the rostellum with its brown viscid disc can be 
seen pointing upwards. If at this stagea pencil with pollinia is thrust into 
the flower, masses of pollen at once adhere to the stigma, the pencil often 
bringing away a second pair of pollinia. In Orchis, Ophrys, etc., the 
column is immovable, but the pollinia, vertical when first withdrawn, move 
downwards till they are horizontal. In Spiranthes the pollinia are 
horizontal from the beginning, and go through no movement of depression, 
but the column itself moves upwards from the lip, opening the way for the 
entrance of the pollinia, and presenting the stigma at the right angle to 
ensure contact with them. 
The genus Spiranthes extends throughout Europe and Asia to Japan, 
and is represented in N. America by no less than 24 species. Whether it 
first originated in the Old World or the New, its occurrence in these now 
widely separated continents shows that it must have existed at a time when 
it was possible for the plant to extend from the one to the other. 
Geologically speaking, that period must have been extremely remote. The 
occurrence of one and the same species, S. Romanzoffiana, both in America 
and in Ireland, is a striking proof of the antiquity and of the permanence of 
this species, which has apparently remained unchanged through untold 
ages. In view of the great range of variation shown by some Orchids, this 
permanence of form and character is a most arresting fact. One species of 
the genus, S. australis, Lindl., included by Mr. Ames in his S. sinensis, 
extends to Australia and New Zealand. Dr. Rogers, President of the 
Royal Society of S. Australia, tells me that it is the only Orchid which South 
Australia possesses in common with the Old World, though in Queensland 
and the Northern Territory the genera Goodyera, Epipogon, and Habenaria 
occur somewhat sparsely. From its photograph, S. australis might almost 
be taken for S. zstivalis, and like the latter grows in marshy ground, though 
the flowers are pink. It is worthy of note that its geographical isolation 
has not resulted in any marked variation from the type of its congeners iD 
the northern hemisphere. I am indebted to the kindness of Mr. W. H. St- 
Quintin and the courtesy of the Editor of The Garden for permission t? 
reproduce the accompanying photographs. 
