Corysanthes fimbriata. Tab. 10.
Corysanthes fimbriata. Prodr. fl. nov. holl. 328.
In shady places, especially under rocks and large stones, near Sydney, and in other parts of the colony of Port Jackson.
DESC. Bulbus solitarius pisiformis radicem longam teretem fibris nonnullis alternis simplicissimis instructam terminans.
Folium unicum, quasi radicale, sed caulem brevissimum demersum, basi squama unica semivaginanti subovata acuta instructum terminans, subrotundum mucrone brevissimo, basi altè cordata, lobis posticis rotundatis altero alterum equitante, explanatum horizontale, viride subtus dilutius, diametro subunciali, venosum venis dichotomis crebre anastomozantibus in nervum margini approximatum et parallelum desinentibus. Flos solitarius, pro ratione plantæ magnus, purpureus; ovario intra folium subsessili postice bractea semilanceolata erecta subtenso. Perianthium petaloideum sexpartitum ringens: Foliola tria exteriora, quorum Galea hyalina cum maculis crebris purpureis inæqualibus, e basi erectiuscula arcuata angustiore, superne dilatata obovata magis concava porrecta, apice incurvo, marginibus longitudinaliter nudis; duo antica cum lateralibus interiorum labium inferius descendenti-porrectum efformantia, subulata plana alba immaculata, ipsis basibus invicem connatis: tria interiora, quorum duo lateralia anticis exteriorum similia, e basi brevi porrecta adscendentia. Labellum maximum unguiculatum indivisum; ungue brevissimo erecto albo: laminæ dimidio inferiore adscendenti galeæ basi appresso, marginibus nudis inflexis tubum completum efformante, intus nigro sanguineo sursum dilutiore, paulo infra apicem albo virescenti rugoso subglanduloso; superiore dilatato ovato concavo deflexo, dilute purpureo maculis numerosis confluentibus rufosanguineis, disco intus paulo infra apicem glandulis sessilibus sparsis ornato marginibus inflexis fimbriatis lacinulis subulatis æqualibus.
Columna fructificationis inclusa, brevissima, adscendens, alba carnosa, basi parum coarctata, apice posticè trifido dentibus lateralibus erectis subulatis in- 611] termedio antherifero. Anthera mobilis ovata membranacea purpurascens apice semibifido, unilocularis, apicem columnæ incumbens. Massa Pollinis 4, per paria cohærentes, farinaceæ, apicibus affixæ glandulæ communi emarginaturam stigmatis operienti. Ovarium oblongum: Stylus cum basi columnæ conferruminatus: Stigma solutum, horizontale subrotundum, antice concavum, apice plica duplici coarctatum, antheræ subparallelum.
Obs. The three species of which this genus at present consists agree in their anthera being unilocular after bursting, in the singular relative proportions of the parts of the perianthium, and in habit; but in some points, generally of importance in this order of plants, they differ very remarkably, especially in the form of the labellum, which in one species is even furnished with a double calcar. Corysanthes may therefore be considered as affording a proof, and many others might be adduced, of the superior importance of certain modifications of the anthera to those of the labellum in Orchideæ.
