few, large, 1½–3½ in. long, ¾–1 in. broad, oblong-ovate or elliptic-oblong to oblong-lanceolate, acute, narrowed into a short broad petiole or almost sessile, thin and membranous, veins reticulated; cauline leaves 2 or 3, almost as long but narrower, lanceolate or oblonglanceolate, acute or acuminate, flat, spreading, sheathing at the base. Flowers large, solitary or very rarely two, 1–1½ in. long. Galea bent forwards from above the base and then curved sharply downwards so that the point often reaches the ovary; upper sepal produced into a long acuminate point; petals much shorter, falcate, acuminate. Lower lip with the entire part broadly cuneate, the free lobes gradually narrowed into long filiform points embracing the galea and sometimes 1½ in. long. Lip narrow-linear, obtuse; basal appendage short, curved, penicillate. Column slender, not half the length of the galea; wings with a short upper lobe bearing an erect subulate tooth at the outer angle, lower lobe very long, linear-oblong, obtuse.
South Island: Nelson—Mount Arthur Plateau, T.F.C. Canterbury—Bealey, Kirk! Waimakariri Glacier, T.F.C. Westland—Kelly's Creek, Petrie! Otira Gorge, Cockayne! T.F.C. 1000–4000 ft. December–January.
Very close to P. micromega, but stouter, with much larger radical and cauline leaves, and with the flower very conspicuously decurved.
6. P. foliata, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 249.—Rather stout, glabrous, 2–8 in. high. Lower leaves 2–5, subrosulate, sessile or petioled, 1–1¾ in. long, elliptic-oblong to linear-oblong, obtuse or acute, veins reticulated; cauline leaves reduced to 1 or 2 large sheathing erect lanceolate bracts ½–1 in. long. Flower solitary, erect, ¾ in. long. Galea erect at the base, curved forwards at the tip; upper sepal acute or acuminate; petals falcate, obtuse or subacute. Lower lip with the entire part short, broadly cuneate, the free lobes gradually narrowed into rather short filiform points embracing the galea but not much exceeding it. Lip linear-oblong, flat, obtuse; basal appendage short, curved, penicillate at the tip. Column not half the length of the galea, upper lobe of wing with a subulate tooth; lower lobe linear-oblong, obtuse.—Handb. N.Z. Fl. 268.
North Island: Ruahine Mountains and Cape Palliser, Colenso; Patangata, Tryon! South Island: Marlborough, Kirk! Otago—Buchanan! Signal Hill, Millburn, Tuapeka, Petrie! Sea-level to 2500 ft. December–January.
Differs from P. micromega in the stouter habit, larger more reticulate and often decidedly rosulate radical leaves, cauline leaves reduced to sheathing bracts, smaller flowers with shorter points to the lateral sepals, and broader shorter lip.
7. P. venosa, Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxviii. (1896) 610.— Small, perfectly glabrous, 2–3 in. high. Leaves 2 or 3 near the base of the stem, large for the size of the plant, ¾–2 in. long, broadly
