7. Corysanthes. ORCHID ACE AE. . 129 



incurved against the wings of the column, about 6£ mm. Jong. Labellum peltate, attached 

 by a rather long irritable semicircular claw to the extremity of the column-foot ; lamina 

 ovate, about 6 mm. long, centre inflated and hollow, apex prolonged into a bifid glandular- 

 tipped process, the base into a short triangular point with a short spur on each side of 

 the claw ; upper surface convex, densely tuberculate, except near its extreme base, 

 under-surface non-tuberculate concave, lateral margins also tuberculate. Column almost 

 as long as the petals ; its base extended into a foot about 3 mm. long ; widely winged 

 throughout from anther to free end of foot. Anther 2-celled, very blunt, valvate. Pol- 

 linia 4, free, elongated, lamellate, granular or mealy. Stigma standing out prominently 

 below anther, concave, viscid. Rostellum rudimentary. No caudicle or viscid disk. 

 Longwood and Kuitpo Forest ; also all Eastern States and Tasmania. Dec. 



7. CORYSANTHES, R. Br. 



(Greek korys, a helmet ; anthos, a flower.) 

 Dorsal sepal large, erect, incurved, hood-shaped ; lateral sepals and petals diminutive, 

 linear. Labellum large, tubular, its base erect enclosing the column ; expanded towards 

 the orifice ; the expanded portion reflexed or recurved. Column short, fleshy, erect. 

 Anther 2-celled, erect, valvate. Pollinia 4, in 2 pairs, attached directly to the viscid disk 

 of the rostellum without the intervention of a caudicle ; granular or mealy. — Dwarf 

 terrestrial herbs arising from small rounded tubers ; leaf single, ovate-cordate or rotund, 

 with scarious sheathing bract below it. Flower relatively large, solitary, sessile or pedicel- 

 late. Pedicel elongated in the fruiting stage. 



A rather extensive genus comprising upwards of 40 valid species, ranging as far north 

 as the Philippines, extending westward to the Himalayas, traceable through the Indian 

 Archipelago to New Guinea, where it appears to have its maximum distribution (19 

 species) ; also reported from islands of the Polynesian group and from New Zealand 

 (8 species) ; represented in Australia by 4 or 5 species. 



Dorsal sepal abruptly contracted into a narrow claw almost 

 the same length as the orbicular lamina ; orifice of 



labellum looking downwards, slightly contracted G. unguiculata 1. 



Dorsal sepal gradually contracted towards the base. Orifice 

 of labellum looking forwards, widely expanded. 

 Hood broad, dark-colored, projecting beyond labellum ; 



margin of orifice of labellum deeply denticulate G. fimbriata 2. 



Hood narrow, especially towards the base, greyish- 

 green ; not projecting beyond labellum ; margins of 

 labellar orifice hardly or only slightly denticulate .... C. pruinosa 3. 



1. C. unguiculata (clawed), referring to the base of the dorsal sepal), R. Br. Probably 

 the smallest Australian member of the genus, sometimes not exceeding 10 or 12 mm. 

 high. Leaf ovate-cordate, often with a tendency to become 3-lobed ; undersurface 

 generally pale-red streaked with grey, 1-3 cm. long. Flower single, pedicellate, reddish- 

 purple, recurved or reflexed against a rather long ovary about equal in length to the 

 pedicel. Dorsal sepal reddish-purple, 8-10 mm. long, suddenly contracted into a narrow 

 claw about 5 mm. long ; claw erect at base, then much incurved ; lamina orbicular, 

 concave, about 5 or 6 mm. in diameter. Lateral sepals colorless, narrow -linear, 4£-5£ mm. 

 long, spreading below the labellum. Petals much shorter, about 2|-3 mm. long, colorless, 

 very narrow -linear, generally chelate, spreading on each side of the labellum. Labellum 

 somewhat exceeding the dorsal sepal in length ; tubular, inflated in the middle and 

 diminishing in calibre from that part towards the base and towards the orifice ; the 

 lateral margins meeting along the dorsum in the middle line ; the orifice oblique, directed 

 downwards and forwards, margins entire or almost so ; a longitudinal tract of calli 

 extending almost from the orifice along the middle of the lamina nearly to the extreme 

 base. Column very short, incurved, 2-winged. Anther 2-celled, valvate. Pollinia 

 4, in 2 pairs ; no caudicle. Stigma very prominent, large, circular. 



Between Mount Gambier and Glencoe ; also New South Wales ; Victoria ; and Tas- 

 mania. July-Aug. 



2. C. fimbriata (fringed, referring to the labellum), R. Br. (PI. 7, ii., figs. 7-9.) A larger 

 and more robust plant than the last, attaining a height of 1^-4 cm. Leaf orbicular- 

 cordate, apiculate, with tendency to become 3-lobed, frosty on under-surface, usually 

 1^-3 cm. long, with a circular marginal vein. Flower large, 18-20 mm. long (without 

 ovary), reddish-purple, sessile or almost so ; ovary terete, 5-6 mm. long. Dorsal sepal 

 at first erect, then incurved, about 18 mm. long, gradually contracted into rather a long 

 claw ; its lamina very blunt, broad and concave, almost horizontal, forming a hood 

 projecting over and beyond the labellum. Lateral sepals colorless, linear, acuminate, 

 about 4 mm. long ; connate at their bases with each other and also with the petals ; 

 directed more or less horizontally forward. Petals wider and shorter, narrow falco- 

 lanceolate, about 2 mm. long, colorless, frequently bidentate, assuming variable positions 

 but chiefly directed forwards. Labellum large, crimson, sessile, its lower half vertical 



E 



