192 



THE TASMA.NIAN FLORA.. 



pai'tially anited or adhering to one another ; inner pair of segments rather 

 smaller, herbaceous or petaloid. Labellum oblong or ovate, entire, usually 

 curved, sessile or on a short slender stalk, bearing a thickened plate in the 

 centre. Column very short, with free lateral lobes. Anther valvate. Rostellnm 

 about as long as the anther. Flowers always in terminal spikes. 



The genus is confined to Australia and New Zealand, but is principally 

 developed in Tasmania and extra-tropical Australia. 



Bentham, in "Fl. Aust.," takes exception to the lateral sepals having been 

 described as 2-dentate in two or three species, considering the 

 description erroneous. In the Tasmanian forms of P. fuscum the 

 2-dentate termination of the lateral sepals is very marked, and is 

 usually so in P. brevilabre, and rarely also in P. patens. 



Plant usually robust, with a conspicuous leaf, and 

 ilowers exceeding 2 lines. Labellum sessile. 

 Upper perianth-segments more or less united. 

 Ovary linear-oblong. 



Labellum swollen towards the base, upper half 



recurved, wavy 

 Labellum hardly swollen at base, upper half 



curved back ... 

 Labellum nearly flat, erect, the central plate 

 covering most of it ... 

 Ovary ovate. Labellum bent close back from the 

 middle ... 

 Upper perianth-segments quite free from one 

 another. 

 Side-segments of perianth petaloid ; central 

 plate of labellum not conspicuous beyond the 

 middle 

 Side-segments herbaceous ; central plate of 

 labellum swollen, and extending nearly to 

 the end ... 

 Plant small, slender. Leaf reduced to a bract, and 

 ■ flowers very small . Labellum irritable, on a short 

 slender stalk. 

 Labellum with a fringed margin. 



Upper segments nearly 3 lines long, swollen 



towards the base... 

 Upper segments 2 lines long, narrow, acute 

 Labellum hairless on the margin. 

 Plant very dark red. 



Perianth about 2 lines long ; the segments 



lanceolate-acute, exceeding the ovary 

 Perianth about 2 lines long ; the segments 



broad, swollen 



Perianth hardly 1 line long, much shorter 

 than ovary 

 Plant pale. Perianth-segments lanceolate, about 

 2 lines long 



1. P. australe. 



2. P. Jlavum. 



3. P. elaium. 



4. P. brevilabre. 



5. P. pafens. 



6. P.JmcuM. 



7. P. archeri. 



8. P- intricatum. 



9. P- despectans. 



10. P. nigricans. 



11. P. rufum. 

 12. P. hrachysttachyum. 



1. P- AUSTBALE, R. Br. A stout plant, 1-3 feet high. Leaf with a long 

 sheath and a short lamina. Flowers very numerous. Outer perianth-segments 

 about 4 lines long, the upper pair united below but free at the points. Labellum 

 sessile, very inflated towards the base, sharply recurved at about the middle, the 



