Chiloglottis cornuta Hook. f., Fl. Ant., 1, 1844, 69.

Ch. muelleri R. D. Fitzg., Austr. Orch., 2, 1885, 2.

First collected by Lyall on Campbell Island in December, 1840, this plant was not found on the mainland until 1870, when it was collected by Kirk at Northcote, near Auckland. It was united with the Australian Ch. muelleri in 1945. (Rupp and Hatch, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., 70, 1945, 57.)

A stout, glabrous herb up to 13 cm. high. Leaves 1–3, subrosulate, petiolate, oblong-lanceolate, acute, conspicuously reticulated. Floral bract foliaceous or bracteate. Flowers 1–2, greenish-purple. Dorsal sepal broadly ovate-lanceolate, erect, acuminate. Lateral sepals usually deflexed, linear-lanceolate. Petals broader, spreading. Labellum triangular-cordate, acute or obtuse, more or less concave. Lamina with several large, dark, irregular calli. Column incurved, wings with 2 lobes produced above the anther. Stigma large, orbicular, concave. Seeding peduncle up to 28 cm.

Distribution. Australia—Tasmania, Victoria, not common. New Zealand—frequent throughout both main islands, Stewart, Chatham, Auckland, Campbell, and Antipodes Islands.

Sea-level-3,500 ft. Flowers Oct.-Jan., small colonies or scattered, on the forest floor. Ch. cornuta is largely pollinated by insects, but is capable of self-fertilisation should the former method fail.

Chiloglottis formicifera R. D. Fitzg., Austr. Orch., 2, 1885, 2.

Slender, up to 8 cm. high. Leaves 1–2, subrosulate, sessile, oblong-lanceolate, obtuse, margins finely undulate. Flowering peduncle up to 7 cm. high. Floral bract narrow-acute. Flower solitary, greenish. Dorsal sepal erect, linear-spathulate, acuminate. Lateral sepals linear, acuminate. Petals broader, abruptly deflexed or almost erect. Labellum on a long narrow claw with an expanded rhomboid lamina, the margin rounded or acute. Calli numerous, in 2 groups, the posterior large, more or less insectiform, the anterior small, more regular. Column wings broader than in Ch. cornuta, column otherwise similar. Seeding peduncle up to 12 cm. high.

Distribution. Australia—New South Wales, rather rare, confined to the coastal area. New Zealand—2, Kaitaia, 9, 1900, et subseq., R. H. Matthews.

Nothing is known of the method of pollination. Fitzgerald's illustration in the Australian Orchids may be regarded as the hypotype of the species.

In all but one case the descriptions and illustrations have been drawn from living material examined by the writer. Ch. formicifera was drawn from a dried New Zealand specimen and the dissections taken from the hypotype. The description was taken in Australia from living material.

The writer is greatly indebted to Mr. Cedric Smith and Mrs. Eileen Willa, of Stewart Island, for living specimens of Aporostylis and Townsonia respectively.