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Manual of the New Zealand Flora.

6. Thelymitra, Forst

6. Thelymitra, Forst.

Terrestrial herbs, usually glabrous. Root of oblong or ovoid tubers. Leaf solitary, linear or lanceolate, often thick and fleshy but not terete; empty sheathing bracts 1 or 2 along the stem. Flowers few or many in a terminal raceme, sometimes reduced to one. Sepals and petals similar and equal or nearly so, spreading. Lip similar to the petals, quite free from the column at the base. Column short, erect, broadly 2-winged; the wings either produced behind the anther with a variously lobed or fringed or rarely entire margin, or with 2 prominent lateral lobes as long or longer than the anther; at the base the wings extend between the column and the lip and are united. Anther in front of the produced wing of the column or between its lateral lobes, erect, 2-celled; connective often produced; pollinia 2 in each cell, friable.

A genus of probably over 30 species, mostly natives of Australia ana New Zealand, one species only being found in New Caledonia, and two in the Malay Archipelago. It is remarkable from the lip being quite free from the column and resembling the petals and sepals, so that the perianth has little of the irregular appearance of an orchid, but rather resembles that of an Ixia or Sisyrinchium, The New Zealand species are much alike in habit and general appearance, and in most cases cannot be distinguished from one another when out of flower, or when dried. Even when in the flowering state they require careful study before their differential characters can be understood. The following analysis is in several respects imperfect, but is the best that I can offer in the present state of our knowledge. I have in my herbarium specimens of at least three additional forms, but they cannot be safely described until more complete material is available.

A. Cucullaria. Column-wing extending behind the anther and usually overtopping it, hood-shaped, variously lobed or fringed, the lateral lobes tipped with a dense brush of cilia.
Column-wing with 3 short denticulate or fimbriate lobes at the back between the lateral lobes 1. T. ixioides.
Column-wing with a broad entire or emarginate lobe between the lateral lobes, which are shorter than it 2. T. longifolia.
Column-wing with a truncate or bifid scarcely hood-shaped lobe between the lateral lobes, which are longer than it 3. T. intermedia.
Column-wing with a hood-shaped lobe between the lateral lobes, which are much longer than it. Sepals and petals linear-oblong 4. T. Colensoi.
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B.Macdonaldia. Column-wing extending behind the anther but shorter than it and not hood-shaped, variously lobed or crenate or fimbriate.

Tall, slender, 9–18 in. high. Flowers 3–8, large, ¾–1.in. diam., blue-purple 5. T. pulchella.
Flexuous and wiry, 4–10 in. high. Flowers 1–3, ½ in. diam., flesh-coloured 6. T.imberbis.

C.Biaurella. Column-wing not extending behind the anther, but with 2 prominent erect lateral lobes.

Flowers 3–6. Lateral lobes of the column-wing exceeding the short broad anther 7. T.venosa.
Flowers 1–4. Lateral lobes of the column-wing not so long as the rather narrow anther 8. T. uniflora.

T. concinna and T. nervosa, Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xx. (1888) 207, and T. fimbriata, i.c. xxii. (1890) 490, are unknown to me.

1.T. ixioides, Swz. in Vet. Akad. Handl. Stockh. xxi. (1800) 228, t. 3.—Stem slender, 9–18 in. high. Leaf rather long but shorter than the stem, narrow-linear, thick, channelled in front. Flowers 2–8 or more in a raceme 2–6 in. long, rather large, -1 in. diam. Sepals, petals, and lip broadly oblong or elliptic-oblong, obtuse or sub acute. Column short, stout, not half as long as the perianth; the broad wing continued behind the anther and overtopping it, 3-lobed at the back and with a lateral lobe on each side at the front angle; lateral lobes the highest, pointing forwards and upwards, linear, tipped with a small dense tuft of cilia; the 3 intermediate lobes broader and shorter, truncate, denticulate or crenate, the middle one usually crested on the back. Anther rather narrow, pointed, much longer than the rostellum.—Hook. f. Fl. Tasm. ii. 6, t. 031B; Benth. Fl. Austral. vi. 317; Fitzgerald, Austral. Orchid, ii. pt. 3; Berggr. in Minneskr. Fisiog. Sallsk. Lund. (1877) 22.

North Island: Auckland — Kaitaia, R. H. Matthews! Whangaroa, Petrie! Bay of Islands, Berggren; Te Aroha and Rotorua, Petrie! (specimens not in a fit state for accurate determination, but apparently the same). September–November. Also in Australia.

2.T. longifolia, Forst. Char. Gen. 98, t. 49.—Very variable in size and degree of robustness, stout or slender, 3–18 in. high. Leaf short or long, often overtopping the flowers in short-stemmed speci mens, narrow-linear or linear-lanceolate, varying in breadth from ⅛ to ¾ in. or even more, flat or involute, thick and coriaceous or fleshy, grooved and nerved. Flowers 2–16 in a raceme 1–6 in. long or sometimes solitary, variable in size, ⅓–¾ in. diam., colour varying from white to pink or blue. Sepals and petals oblong-ovate or ovate-lanceolate, acute or acuminate; lip usually broader and more obtuse. Column short, stout; the wing continued behind the anther and much longer than it, 3-lobed; the middle lobe the highest, broad, rounded, hood-shaped and projecting forwards over the anther, emarginate or shallowly 2-lobed, margins smooth, page 670entire; lateral lobes short, linear, terminated by a dense brush of white cilia. Anther much exceeding the rostellum.—Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 270; Benth. Fl. Austral. vi. 319; Fitzgerald, Austral. Orch. i. pt. 6, T. Forsteri, Swz. in Vet. Akad. Handle Stockh. xxi. (1800) 228; A. Rich. Fl. Nouv. Zel. 165, t. 25, f. 2; A. Cunn. Precur. n. 309; Raoul, Choix, 41; Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 243. T. stenopetala, Hook. f. Fl. Antarct. i. 69. T. nemoralis-and T. purpureo-fusca, Col. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xvii. (1885) 249. T. alba, Col. l.c. xviii. (1886) 272. T. cornuta, Col. l.c. xx. (1888), 206.

North and South Islands, Stewart Island, Chatham Islands, Auck land Islands: Abundant from the Three Kings Islands and the North Cape southwards. Sea-level to 4000 ft. Makaika.November–December. Also in Australia and Tasmania.

Found in all soils and situations (except in the dense forest) and correspondingly variable. Its best distinguishing character is the large middle lobe of the column-wing, which forms a smooth rounded hood projecting over the anther and usually overtopping the lateral lobes, which are most densely oiliate at the tips. For an account of the fertilisation, see a paper by myself in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xiii. 291.

3.T. intermedia, Berggr. in Minneskr. Fisiog. Sallsk. Lund. (1877) 21, t. 5, f. 21–24.—Size and habit altogether that of slender forms of T. longifolia, and flowers similar in general appearance. Column-wing continued behind the anther and 3-lobed as in T. longifolia; but the intermediate lobe is much shorter, so that., the tip of the anther is exserted beyond it, and the anterior angle on each side is incurved and acute; the lateral lobes longer, erect,. exceeding the intermediate lobe, terminated by a much smaller and less dense tuft of cilia.

North Island: Bay of Islands, Berggren.

I only know this through Dr. Berggren's figure and description. It may be the same as the following, but that is a question that can only be settled by actual comparison of the types.

4.T. Colensoi, Hook. f. Handb. N.Z. Fl. 271.—" Very slender, 8–12 in. high. Leaf very narrow-linear, flexuous. Flowers 1–3, yellowish, on slender pedicels, ⅓ in. broad. Sepals and petals very narrow, linear-oblong, acute. Column very short; appendages very long, subulate, erect, plumose at the tip. Anther with a long, point."—T. pauciflora, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 244 (not of R. Br.).

North Island: Colenso (Handbook).

I have seen no specimens that I can refer to this, and in the absence of any additional information have reproduced the description given in the Handbook.

5.T. pulchella, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 244. — Stem tall, slender, often flexuous, 9–18 in. high or even more. Leaf shorter than the stem, long, linear, fleshy, grooved and channelled; empty page 671bracts 2 or 3, sheathing. Flowers 3–8 in a raceme from 2 in. to 6 in. long, large, handsome, blue - purple, ¾–1 in. diam. Sepals, petals, and lip broadly oblong or obovate, obtuse. Column less than half as long as the perianth, the wing continued behind the anther but much shorter than it, 3-lobed; middle lobe short and broad, emarginate or truncate; lateral lobes much longer than the middle lobe and almost equalling the anther, erect, lanceolate, acuminate, coarsely toothed. Anther broad, connective produced into a stout horn-like point.—Handb. N.Z. Fl. 271.

North Island: Olay hills from the North Cape to the Waikato River, not uncommon. November–December.

A well-marked species, easily distinguished by the large blue-purple flowers, broad obtuse sepals and petals, long erect coarsely jagged (not ciliate) lateral lobes of the column-wing, and broad and short middle lobe, which is much lower than the anther. I have seen no South Island specimens, and suspect that Monro's and Lyall's plants, mentioned by Hooker in the Handbook, are nothing more than large states of T. uniflora.

6.T. imberbis, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 244.—Stem slender, wiry, often flexuous, 4–12 in. high. Leaf much shorter than the stem, narrow-linear, flexuous, thick and fleshy, grooved in front. Flowers 1–3, rarely more, short and broad, cup-shaped, ½ in. diam., flesh-coloured. Sepals and petals ⅓ in. long, broadly oblong or obovate-oblong, obtuse or apiculate. Column less than half as long as the perianth; the wing continued behind the anther but shorter than it, 3-lobed; middle lobe broad, truncate or obscurely 2-lobed, minutely warted on the back, margin thick, entire; lateral lobes longer, pointing forwards and upwards, triangular, acute, irregularly denticulate, without cilia. Anther large, connective produced into a blunt point much exceeding the column-wing.—Handb. N.Z. Fl. 271.

North Island: Olay hills from the North Cape to Rotorua, not uncommon. Sea-level to 1500 ft. October–November.

In the original description the flowers are said to be yellow, but they are flesh-coloured in all the specimens I have seen. It is probably identical with the -Australian T. carnea, R. Br.

7.T. venosa, R. Br. Prodr. 314. — Stem stout or slender, 9–18 in. high or more. Leaf shorter than the stem, narrow-linear, thick, channelled. Flowers 3–6, large, handsome, purplish-blue, 1 in. diam. Sepals and petals ½ in. long, oblong or elliptic-oblong, obtuse or minutely apiculate, conspicuously veined; lip obovate, obtuse. Column short, stout, not half the length of the perianth; wing not continued behind the anther but with 2 erect lateral lobes which exceed the anther, lobes narrow-triangular, 1–2-toothed near the tip, which is usually twisted inwards. Anther rather short, ovate, connective narrowed into a short bifid beak not so long as the lateral lobes.—Benth. Fl. Austral. vi. 323. Epiblema grandi-florum, Buck, in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xiv. (1882) 357 (not of R. Br.). page 672 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 Isiand, 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.