North Island: Auckland—Swamps in the Upper Waikato, T.F.C.; Omatangi, near Lake Taupo, Berggren! Taranaki—Ngaire Swamp, T.F.C. Wellington—Mungaroa Swamp, Travers, Kirk!
Very near to T. uniflora in the structure of the flower, but a taller and stouter plant, with numerous larger flowers, and with the lateral lobes of the column exceeding the anther. The late Mr. Buchanan informed me that it was the plant he referred to Epiblema in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xiv. It probably occurs in the South Island, but I have seen no specimens from thence. It is found in. several localities in New South Wales.
8. T. uniflora, Hook. f. Fl. Antarct. i. 70.—Stem slender, 6–12 in. high or more. Leaf much shorter than the stem, very narrow-linear, channelled. Flowers 1–4, large, handsome, blue-purple, ¾ in. diam. Sepals and petals obovate-oblong, obtuse or apiculate, veined; lip broader, obovate. Column short and stout, less than half the length of the perianth; wing reduced to 2 linear-triangular lateral lobes not connected by a rim or crest behind the anther, tip obscurely notched, usually twisted inwards. Anther large, broadly ovate, the connective produced into a bifid beak which overtops the column-lobes.—Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 244; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 271.
North and South Islands, Stewart Island, Auckland Islands: From Rotorua southwards, chiefly in upland districts. Sea-level to 3500 ft. December–January.
The name uniflora is misleading, as the flowers are often more than one. It is very closely allied to the Tasmanian T. cyanea, Lindl., and may prove identical with it.
7. ORTHOCERAS, R. Br.
Glabrous terrestrial herbs. Root of 1 or 2 ovoid tubers and numerous fleshy fibres. Leaves few, near the base of the stem,, narrow-linear. Flowers rather large, sessile in a lax spike; bracts sheathing, acute. Upper sepal erect, incurved, deeply concave; lateral longer, narrow-linear or almost filiform, terete, erect. Petals short, erect, narrow, flat. Lip affixed to the base of the column, spreading, 3-lobed; lateral lobes broad; middle lobe large, ovate; disc with a thick callus. Column short, stout, upper part with 2 lateral erect lobes equalling the anther. Anther large, erect or slightly incurved, 2-celled; polHnia powdery.
One species only is known, found in both Australia and New Zealand.
1. O. strictum, R. Br. Prodr. 317.—Stem stout or slender, rigid, erecc, wiry, 9–24 in. high. Leaves several near the base of the stem, sheathing. 2–9 in. long, linear or almost filiform, channelled, margins involute; above the leaves there are usually 2 or 3 long sheaths with short erect laminae. Spike 1–9 in. long, 3–12-flowered; flowers rather lax, green, greenish-purple or brownishpurple; bracts acuminate, the lower ones usually exceeding the
