THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST. 229 
none of the genus had been found west of the mountains. How- 
ever, | watched the clump for eight years, and at the end of 
that time, had the satisfaction of finding a few plants in flower, 
and it proved to be a new species of Corysanthes. 
Mr. Fitzgerald collected, within a radius of one mile from 
Hunter’s Hill, 62 species, 57 being: terrestrial. And I collected 
in a five mile radius at Guntawang, near Mudgee, 60 species, 57 
being terrestrial. None of our native orchids are so beautiful 
as the exotic species cultivated by orchid lovers in hot houses, 
but they are none the less very beautiful. 
They are easy plants to identify, even children recognise 
them readily. The observer soon develops what Dr. Rogers. 
calls the “orchid eye” and spots them with ease. 
The structure of the flower is very constant. Like all 
monocotyledons, their perianth is in threes, three sepals outside 
and three petals inside.. The lowest petal, in most, is highly 
developed. It has a different shape and is more ornamental, 
and may have ridges or other ornamental outgrowths. It is 
called the labellum or lip. The essential organs are combined 
into one mass, consisting of two anthers, and a stigma. This 
compound organ is called the column. ‘The pollen, instead of 
being composed of separate minute grains, is in, masses called 
pollinia, either waxy, or powdery with the grains held together 
by a network of fine threads. . 
We may divide our orchids into two groups, epiphytes, and 
terrestrial orchids, Epiphytes are those plants which grow on 
trees, or rocks, and have their roots more or less exposed to the 
air—aerial roots. They are easy of cultivation; will grow 
fastened on a piece of wood, or bark or virgin cork, but should 
have a padding beneath of fibrous peat. But they will do. 
better in a mixture of leaf mould and charcoal, topped with 
Sphagnum moss. If grown in this mixture in pots, they should 
be well drained, as stagnant moisture is fatal to. them. 
The commonest genera are Dendrobium, Bulbophyllum, and 
Sarcochilus. The well-known rock-lily is the commonest of the 
Dendrobiums. It grows in soil well, but does equally well on 
rocks and branches of trees. 
The terrestrial orchids, as the name implies, grow in the 
ground, and have for the most part, a double tuber—one formed 
last year, which throws up the. flower-stalk, and at the same 
time a new one is formed, which flowers the following year, the 
