Flora of New Zealand Series

Raceme of few to many fls; floral bracts heavy in texture and often exceeding ovary at fl. Per. glab.; dorsal sepal uppermost, broad and arched over column; lateral sepals much longer, very narrow-linear, channelled; petals short, narrow and ± hidden under dorsal sepal. Labellum almost as large as dorsal sepal, sessile, 3-lobed; callus thick, median. Column short; wings in form of 2 free lateral processes; anther dorsal, taller than stigma, pollinia ill-defined, pollen granular; stigma disc-shaped; rostellum prominent, acute. Plants terrestrial, glab.; tuber long-ovoid, us. produced close to the previous one. Lvs several, sheathing at base, narrow, followed by foliaceous cauline bracts. Monotypic genus, confined to Australia, New Caledonia and N.Z.

Fig. 20. ORTHOCERAS. O. strictum : raceme; flower bisected longitudinally; flower, front view; flower with dorsal and one lateral sepal removed; column and labellum; column with wing removed and labellum bisected longitudinally; labellum; T.S. capsule; seed. An = anther Ca = callus Cap = capsule Co. w = column-wing C-s = cut surface (cross-hatched) D. Sep = dorsal sepal L. Sep = lateral sepal La = labellum La. l = lateral lobe of labellum La. m = mid lobe of labellum Ov = ovary Pet = petal Ro = rostellum St = stigma © All rights reserved. [Image: 4X2C]