1. Pterostylis barbata Ldl., Swam River App., 1839, 53.

Pt. squamata Hook. f. (not of R. Br.).

Up to 25 cm. high. Leaves numerous, subrosulate or rising up the stem, up to 3 cm. long by 5 mm. broad, sessile or shortly petiolate, oblong- to narrow-lanceolate, acute or acuminate. Stem bracts 2–3 below the similar floral bract, loosely sheathing, acute. Flower solitary, erect, up to 4 cm. high, pale green with dark green veins. Dorsal sepal acuminate, longer than the erect petals, the tip incurved. Lateral sepals narrow-linear, connate for half their length and deflexed against the ovary. Labellum exserted, pendulous filiformterete, plumose with long golden hairs and tipped with a large, variously lobed purple callus. Column slender, stigma large, obovate. Column-wings with recurved, narrow-subulate upper lobes much exceeding the anther and narrow, densely ciliate, forward spreading lower lobes.

Distribution. Australia—all States except Queensland. New Zealand—2, 3a, b, c, occasional throughout; 7, Kaitoke, B. C. Aston; Wallaceville, 10, 1946, H. Hodgson; Day's Bay, E. H. Atkinson.

Flowers October–November, sea-level–1,000 ft., solitary or in small groups in scrub or along forest margins, rare. Closely related to the Westralian Pt. turfosa Ldl., with which it forms an isolated section of the genus, believed to be an offshoot of the ancestral rufa group, very far back. Probably windborne originally across the Tasman.

2. Pterostylis mutica R. Br., Prodr., 1810, 328.

Pt. tristis Col., Trans. N.Z. Inst., 18, 1886, 271.

Up to 10 cm. high. Leaves 1–8, dsensely rosulate, acute, petiolate or the upper few sessile, up to 2 cm. long by 6 mm. broad, semi-succulent or membraneous, the lower surface silvery, glabrous, the upper surface glaucous-yellow, the veins conspicuously embossed. Stem bracts 1–6, closely sheathing, erect, acute, repand, brownish-grey. Flowers 1–5 in a terminal raceme, brownish-green, up to 5 mm. high. Dorsal sepal cumulate, obtuse. Petals finely ciliate. Lateral sepals broad, obtuse, deflexed, conjoined almost to the tips. Labellum broad, obtuse, emarginate or entire. Appendage entire, the tip turned inwards. Column erect, stigma high, short and broad. Column-wings with the upper lobes reduced to vestiges, the lower lobes bluntly triangular, turned out toward the petals. The stem elongates considerably with maturity. Australian specimens frequently reach a height of 30 cm. and may produce as many as 10 flowers.

Distribution. Australia—common throughout. New Zealand—5, National Park, 10, 1921, H. B. Matthews; 12, 1920, H. Carse; Waiouru, 12, 1944, E. D. Hatch; 6, Waipawa River, 1885, H. Hill; 12a, 13, 15, occasional throughout; 16, Stewart Island, D. Poppelwell.

Flowers October–January, sea-level–3-000 ft., solitary or small colonies in grass, rather rare. Closely related to the Australian Pt. cycnocephala R. Fitzg., which differs mainly in the labellar appendage being turned outwards. Probably windborne originally across the Tasman.

3. Pterostylis nutans R. Br., Prodr., 1810, 327.

Pt. matthewsii Cheesmn., Trans. N.Z. Inst., 47, 1915, 46.

A compound species with 2 jordanons in Australia. Only the typical form occurs in New Zealand.

Glabrous or occasionally puberulous, up to 15 cm. high. Leaves 1–8, rosulate, petiolate, up to 5 cm. long by 3 cm. broad, oblong to oblong-ovate, acute. Stem bracts 2–3 below the similar floral bract, closely sheathing, acute. Flower solitary, drooping conspicuously, green with faint striae. Dorsal sepal incurved, acute, slightly longer than the petals. Lateral sepals with a wide sinus, the caudae narrow-linear, spreading and shortly exceeding the galea. Labellum broad-acuminate, recurved along its whole length, greenish-red, more or less pubescent. Column incurved, the linear stigma very long. Column-wings with no upper lobes, the lower broadly triangular, ciliate, obtuse.

Distribution. Australia—abundant throughout. New Zealand—2, Kaitaia, 8, 1912, H. B. Matthews; 3a, Whangaparoa, 10, 1942, L. M. Cranwell.

Flowers August–October, sea-level–1,000 ft., small colonies in scrub, very rare. Related to the Australian-New Caledonian Pt. curta R. Br. The group, which has affinities and probably a common origin with the foliata group, is well developed in Australia and contains some half a dozen other species. Probably windborne originally across the Tasman.

4. Pterostylis nana R. Br., Prodr., 1810, 327.

Pt. puberula Hook. f., Fl. Nov. Zel., 1, 1853, 249.

Up to 15 cm. high. Leaves 3–8, broadly petiolate, ovate, acute, up to 15 mm. long by 7 mm. broad. Stem bracts 1–3 below the similar floral bract, acute, closely sheathing, sometimes foliaceous. Flower solitary, erect, golden-green, up to 3 cm. high. Dorsal sepal shorter than the petals, obtuse or shortly acute, the tip horizontal. Lateral sepals with a very wide shallow sinus, with a small inflexed lobe. Caudae erect, much exceeding the galea. Labellum oblong, pinkish, sometimes pubescent, the obtuse tip slightly deflexed. Appendage short, trifid. Column erect, stigma elliptical, rather long. Column-wings with acuminate upper lobes shorter than the anther. Lower lobes broadly oblong, with inturned ciliate margins.

Distribution. Australia—all States except Queensland, abundant. New Zealand—3a, Silverdale, 10, 1946, F. W. Bartlett (originally common on the scrub-covered gumlands of Auckland's western suburbs and north to the Kaipara Harbour, this species has been wiped out by the advance of civilisation); 3b, c, occasional; 7, Silverstream, 10, 1944, L. B. Moore; 10, Westport, W. Townson, Collingwood, T. F. Cheeseman.

Flowers September–October, sea-level–1,000 ft., large colonies in scrub. Related to the Australian Pt. pyramidalis Ldl., the group contains 6 or 7 other species, widespread throughout Australia. Probably windborne originally across the Tasman.