130 ORCHID ACE AE. 8. Acianthus. 



against the dorsal sepal, enclosing the column in a split tube of gradually increasing 

 calibre ; upper part acutely recurved, expanded into a trumpet-shaped orifice with more 

 or less denticulate margins and directed forwards ; lamina with a large convex smooth 

 white boss in the centre of the re flexed part and a band of short reddish hairs or calli in 

 front of the boss, the remaining surface quite smooth ; at the base the tube dilated at . 

 each side of its attachment into a wide auricle, the orifices of which open downwards. 

 Column short, not winged, with prominent wide fleshy shield -like base. Pollinia 4, in 

 2 pairs, attached v/ithout a caudicle to a large viscid disk of the rostellum. Stigma 

 reniform. 



N.P. and other parts of Mount Lofty Range ; Millicent ; Mount Gambier district ; 

 Kangaroo Island ; also from all parts of Commonwealth except N. Territory. June-July, 



3. C. pruinosa (a " bloom," referring to the greyish color of the dorsal sepal), R. Cunn. 

 Bearing a close affinity to the last species, of which it may possibly be a variety. A 

 smaller flower than C. fimbriata ; with a relatively narrower, shorter, and less obtuse hood, 

 of a greyish or ashen color, not projecting beyond the front of the labellum ; the orifice 

 of the labellum scarcely at all fimbriate, its margins having a tendency to curl inwards ; 

 the recurved part of the labellum diverging away from the erect part ; separated 

 apparently by no other constant features. 



N.P. and other parts of Mount Lofty Range ; also from all the Eastern States and 

 Tasmania. June -Aug. 



8. ACIANTHUS, R. Br. 

 (Greek aids, a point ; anthos, flower.) 

 Dorsal sepal erect or incurved over the column, concave, not very broad and often 

 produced into a fine point ; lateral sepals narrow, spreading or upwardly curved. Petals 

 much shorter, reflexed or spreading. Labellum sessile, undivided, spreading, with 2 

 basal calli or tubercles (PL 7, i., figs. 1, 3, cat.). Column semitrete, incurved or inflexed, 

 rarely winged. Anther broad, erect, 2-celled, valvate. Pollen granular or mealy. 

 Pollinia 4, 2 masses in each cell, each pair connected to a separate disk of the rostellum 

 without the intervention of a caudicle. Terrestrial glabrous herbs, with small rounded 

 tubers. Leaf solitary, immediately above the basal scarious sheath or higher up the stem, 

 broadly ovate-cordate, entire, lobed or rarely deeply dissected. Flowers usually in a 

 terminal raceme, occasionally solitary, on a scape or stem without scales above the leaf, 

 except the small bracts subtending the pedicels. 



In addition to 5 Australian species, another occurs in New Zealand and 12 more in New 

 Caledonia and Isle of Pines, making a total of 18 valid species. 



Flowers 1-4 ; dorsal sepal narrow, with a filiform point from 



2-3£ cm. long 1. caudatua 1 . 



Flowers usually upwards of 3 ; dorsal sepal ovate-lanceolate, 



with a point not exceeding 4 mm. long A. exsertus 2. 



1. A. C&U&sdus (tailed, referring to the dorsal sepal), R.Br. (PI. 7, i., figs. 1-6). Very slender, 

 glabrous, 7-15 cm. high. Leaf radical or nearly so; cordate -ovate, rather thin ; margins 

 entire, crenate or sometimes more or less lobed ; green above, reddish below, reticulate, 

 rarely exceeding 2h cm. long. Flowers 1 -4, crimson ; on short pedicels. Dorsal sepal more 

 Or less inflexed, dilated rather narrowly over the anther, then tapering into a filiform point 

 2-3^ cm. long ; the dilated part concave on a contracted base, 5-6 mm. long. Lateral 

 sepals free, much shorter than the dorsal sepal, about 15 mm. long, tapering into fine 

 points curving upwards at their ends. Petals faleo -lanceolate, reflexed or spreading, 

 4-5 mm. long. Labellum sessile, crimson like the other parts ; base erect, semiorbicular, 

 embracing the column ; thereafter broadly but very acutely lanceolate, at first horizontal 

 then abruptly recurved near the tip ; the margins entire ; lamina glandular with smooth 

 surface, except for 2 tooth-like or triangular calli (cah, figs. 1, 3) at the extreme base. 

 Column about 4 mm. long, inflexed on the summit of the ovary ; almost terete in its 

 lower two-thirds, dilated above, very narrowly winged in the terete part, widening shortly 

 on each side of the stigma and continued upwards as a kind of arillus behind the anther. 

 Anther pointless. Pollinia 2 in each cell, granular, each pair connected to a separate 

 viscid disk in the upper border of stigma. Stigma rather prominent, hemispherical. 

 Rostellum double ; each part tooth -like, bearing a relatively large viscid disk. 



Rather rare. Mount Lofty Range ; Dingabledinga ; Delamere ; Victor Harbor ; 

 Beetaloo ; Kangaroo Island ; also New South Wales ; Victoria ; Tasmania. Sep. -Oct. 



2. A. exsertus (protruded, referring to the bending forwards of the column), R. Br. 

 Slender, glabrous, 7-16 cm. high. Leaf single, sessile, ovate-cordate ; generally a little- 

 above the base ; green above, red below ; margins entire, often sinuous ; one or two 

 marginal nerves, venation otherwise reticulate. Flowers 3-20, on short pedicels, in a 

 raceme, reddish -purple or rarely verdant -green. Dorsal sepal about 5 or 6 mm. long, 

 concave, slightly incurved, much contracted below,' expanded above and terminating 

 in a fine short point ; lateral sepals almost as long, subulate, free, spreading beneath the 

 labellum. Petals lanceolate, 2-3 mm. long, acutely bent backwards. Labellum ovate- 



