22 CARL SKOTTSBERG, A BOTANIGAL SURVKY OF THE FALKLAND ISLANDS. 



A. australis n. sp. (Asarca Commersonii (Brongn.) Hook. fil. in Fl. ant. A. 

 Commersonii var., A. Fin et ex sclied.) — Pl. I, Fig. 6. 



Caulis 30 — 40 cm altus ad medium vel supra foliosus; folia basilaria sub- 

 rosulata, 5 — 7 cm longa, 2,5 — 3 cm lata, ovata vel ovato-oblonga acutata, superiora 

 longe lateque vaginantia. Spica pauci- vel multiflora, in speciminibus maclovianis 

 flores solum 3—8. Perigonium ± apertum lacteum viridisignatum. Sepalum dorsale 

 12 — 14 mm longum, 6—7 latum, ovatum acuminatum; lateralia oblique lanceolata 

 15 — 16 mm longa et 5 mm lata, in caudam convolutam incrassatam viridem ad 

 5 mm longam abrupte producta. Petala 10 mm longa et 4 mm lata, ovata obtusa 

 nervis medianis parallelis fere ad medium parce papillosis. Labellum trilobum 

 subcordatum, 8 — 10 mm latum et longum vel paullum longius quam latum, lobis 

 lateralibus subrotundis margine anteriore eximie lacero nervis principalibus incrassatis 

 callosis; lobo medio late lineari-ovato, apice triangulato et incrassato margine lacerato- 

 glanduloso, nervis a disco ad apicem labelli quinque papilligeris; papillse clavatse sat 

 sparsse in parte apicali deficientes. Gynostemium 5 — 6 mm longum, 2 — 2,5 mm 

 latum, 



Mr. A. FiNET in Paris had tlie kindness to compare this species with the type 

 of A. Commersonii, to which it has been referred both by Hooker and Wildeman; 

 I have seen the specimens referred to in Flora antarctica, and there can be no 

 doubt whatever that this is the species figured by Wildeman in Res. scient. Belgica, 

 Plianer. Pl. xxi under the name of Chlorcea Commersonii Brongn. Mr. Finet 

 writes that it differs from the type by the larger side lobes, which besides are trun- 

 cate and lacerate and further by the incrassate apex of the middle lobe, which is 

 destitute of papillse towards the apical part. However, there are also other diffe- 

 rences: shape of the sepals, magnitude of the labellum (much smaller in A. Com- 

 mersonii and with much narrower and more papillose end lobe), colour of flowers 

 (yellow in A. Commersonii) etc. As all specimens, from the Falklands and from 

 Fuegia, show the same characters, I am quite convinced that A. australis is not a 

 variety of A. Commersonii, but a separate species. 



There are, according to Reiche 1. c. three Asarcce with white flowers, A. 

 glandulifera Poepp., leucantha Poepp. et Endl. and sinuata Lindl. I have seen 

 types of all of them; only A. glandulifera has some resemblance to our plant, but 

 differs in having orbicular side lobes of the labellum and much narrower end lobe, 

 densely covered with long, clavate papillse. Besides tliese species, there is a fourth 

 one described with white flowers: A. platyantha Rchb. fil. Reiche quotes this as 

 possibly identical with A. glandidifera; Reichenbach's description (Linnsea xxii) is 

 too short and incomplete. I have seen one original specimen; the species is quite 

 different from A. australis, and also from A. glandulifera as far as I can see. Kränz- 

 LiN has kept it distinct, but united A. chrysostachya Phil., a yellow-flowered species 

 with it; but as the latter has been referred (and justly so!) to A. odoratissima Poepp. 

 by Reiche and a plant in my Patagonian collection, called A. platyantha by Kränz- 

 LiN, proved to be identical with Poeppig's type of A. odoratissima (the comparison 



