19. Pteroslylis. ORCHID ACE AE. 153 



15. P. cycnocephala (swan-headed, referring to the appendage of the labellum), Fitzg. 

 Rather stout, 3-15 cm. high. Leaves 7-9, petiolate, in a crowded basal rosette, oval- 

 elliptical ; lamina 10-15 mm. long ; stem-bracts generally 1 or 2, leafy, near the base, 

 also a loose one subtending each pedicel. Flowers small, green, 2-6 in a raceme (often 

 spiral), usually crowded. Galea incurved, blunt, broad, a little more than 7 mm. long. 

 Lower lip shorter than the galea, reflexed ; lobes only separated at the extreme tips, 

 latter hardly acute. Labellum on a short broad claw (about 1 mm), quadrate, tip broadly 

 rounded and slightly emarginate ; lamina about 2 mm. long, traversed by a central raised 

 line ; appendage highly irritable, as wide at the base as the labellum, flat and narrowing 

 towards its apex, ending in a dark green conical process looking towards the tip of labellum. 

 Column nearly 7 mm. long, not quite reaching top of galea ; wings quite rounded, the 

 anterior margin almost semicircular, ciliate without any tooth, lower lobe broad triangular 

 blunt ciliate. Stigma ovate-lanceolate. 



Monarto South ; Cherry Gardens ; also New South Wales ; Victoria ; Tasmania, Sept. 



16. P. pusilla (small), Rogers. A slender rather diminutive species, 6-9 cm. high, 

 Leaves in a green radical rosette, shortly petiolate ; lamina about 13 mm. long, oblong- 

 lanceolate ; stem-bracts 2, closely sheathing, and one subtending each floral pedicel. 

 Flowers 1-4, racemose, on slender pedicels, green, with reddish tints on lower lip labellum 

 and margins of galea. Galea about 8 mm. or less long from base to crest, with short 

 subulate point. Lower lip recurved or reflexed, concave, margins involute, about same 

 length as galea ; lobes shortly acuminate. Labellum oblong fleshy and very irritable 

 on a long wide claw, concave on its upper surface, tip straight, very blunt and rounded, 

 posterior margin thickened ; under surface with a deep central channel running from 

 base to tip between 2 pear-shaped swellings, the apices of which are directed forwards ; 

 lateral margins with a few long hairs, posterior margins and tip shortly ciliate, channel 

 on lower surface beset with stiff transverse hairs ; lamina about 1\ mm. long ; appendage 

 almost obsolete, represented by the thickened posterior margin. Column incurved, 

 about 5f mm. long ; wings wide, roughly quadrangular with upper and lower angles 

 rounded and ciliate, no tooth present, anterior margins with inturned ciliate edges. 

 Stigma obovate, membranously expanded, wider than the column. 



Geranium ; Wirrega ; also Victoria. Early October. 



17. P. rufa (reddish), R. Br. Moderately robust, usually 10-25 cm. high. Leaves 

 in a withered basal rosette at the time of flowering, shortly petiolate ; lamina 1-2 cm. 

 long, moderately acute and usually ovate or oblong ; stem-bracts 2-5, acute, scarious, 

 loosely sheathing, besides those subtending the pedicels. Flowers rather large, usually 

 2-4, rarely 1, on long slender pedicels in a raceme, green with rufous markings. Galea 

 from base to crest about 13 mm., broad, incurved, the apex produced into a fine point 

 usually 10-15 mm. long. Lower lip recurved or reflexed ; about as long as the galea ; 

 the lobes elliptical, produced into fine points or caudae of varying length, commonly 

 about 2 cm. Labellum attached by rather a long claw to the foot of column, membranous, 

 rather narrow-oblong, the tip entire, blunt and turned upwards ; the lamina about 6 mm. 

 long, the posterior margin thickened and forming a transverse ridge in front of the claw, 

 traversed by a central longitudinal ridge ; deeply channelled below ; generally 2 long 

 setae on the base, the lateral margins and tip sparsely ciliate ; appendage almost obsolete, 

 represented by thickened posterior margin. Column incurved, nearly 13 mm. long, 

 reaching to top of galea ; wings almost square, upper angle acute ciliate, anterior margins 

 inturned ciliate, lower lobe rather blunt ciliate. Stigma narrow-elliptical. 



N.P. Widely distributed as far north as Moolooloo (Flinders Range) ; also in all the 

 other States. Nov. -Dec. 



18. P. squamata (scaly, referring to stem-bracts), R. Br. Stout, glabrous, about 15 cm. 

 high. Leaves in a withered basal rosette at time of flowering, similar to those of P. rufa ; 

 stem-bracts 6-8, acute, sheathing closely appressed, in addition to those at the base of the 

 pedicels, the lower ones partially imbricate, the distance between them increasing in 

 the upper part of the stem but always short. Flowers greenish with rufous markings, 

 2 or 3, on rather long pedicels. Galea from base to crest about 10 mm. long, the apex 

 produced into a fine point about 6 mm. long, Lower lip reflexed, about as long as the 

 galea, the lobes produced into fine points about 10 mm. long. Labellum thick and fleshy, 

 conspicuously glandular, very irritable, on a wide movable claw, tip straigh bifid, con- 

 tracted towards the base ; lamina about 5 mm. long, hollowed out to within a short 

 distance of the tip, a low wide rounded or somewhat triangular eminence at the base 

 with a long bristle on each side ; lateral margins sparsely ciliate with long hairs ; under- 

 surface deeply and narrowly channelled ; appendage almost obsolete, represented by 

 the basal eminence. Column incurved, reaching to top of galea ; wings almost quad- 

 rangular, upper angles blunt not toothed or ciliate, lower lobes blunt and ciliate, anterior 

 margin with inturned hairs or fringe. Stigma oblong-elliptical. 



Enfield ; Port Lincoln ; also Tasmania. Nov. 



19. P. Mitchellii (after Sir Thomas Mitchell, explorer), Lindl. Rather slender, 7-15 cm. 

 high. Leaves in a green basal rosette, very shortly petiolate, not very acute ; lamina 

 20-30 mm. long, elliptical ; stem-bracts 2-4, closely sheathing and one subtending each 



