Flora of New Zealand Series

P. tunicatum Hook.f. Fl. N.Z. 1,  1853,  242.

P. variegatum Col. in T.N.Z.I.  20,  1888,  208.

Original localities: "Northern Island, Port Nicholson and Taupo Lake, Colenso". Type: K(?).

Plant at fl. c.5–30–(50) cm. tall. Stem 1–3 mm. diam., green to reddish, erect and rush-like, lfless almost up to infl. Lf us. much < raceme; lamina quite inconspicuous; brown ± fibrous sheaths of old scale-lvs persist at base of plant, enclosing present tuber and remains of tubers of several earlier seasons; these underground parts large compared with aerial portions of plant. Raceme of c. 5–25 closely spaced fls. Per. reddish, often dark, narrow, ± horizontal, with a distinct knee projecting upwards. Dorsal sepal c. 2.5–3 mm. long, deeply concave, broadly ovate, with a small apiculus; laterals definitely longer, very shortly connate at base, deeply concave, elliptic, tipped with a small spathulate, easily detached "gland." Petals shorter, more membr., hair-tipped. Labellum about as long as petals, us. dark red, articulate by a narrow curved claw to long column-foot; limb broad-oblong, almost auriculate at base; calli 2, longitudinal, ± parallel, finely and closely papillose; margins ciliate, cilia us. red. Lateral processes of column as tall as anther; tips bifid, the anterior lobe more acute and most minutely ciliolate. Anther on a short filament, definitely overtopping rostellum, apiculate. Stigma about its own height above column-base.

DIST.: N., S., Ch. From near Auckland city to c. lat. 42º30'.

Apparently also in Tasmania and probably in Victoria and N.S.W.

In grass and scrub, mostly lowland.

FL. 1–4–(6).

Part of the original material of P. nudum appears to be in Herb. Cheeseman. AK 3475 is Colenso 1134 which, in Colenso's list of plants sent to Hooker is "Microtis? n. sp. found growing with foregoing [i.e. dry clayey hills, S.E. head of Port Nicholson Harbour]. Only 2 specimens obtained, autumn (April) 1847, but compare No. 1021", No. 1021 in the same series is "Microtis n. sp. with a beautifully coloured perianth, only one found, W. Taupo Lake".

P. tunicatum. Original locality: "Northern Island, East Coast, Colenso". Type: K(?). Relegated to synonymy under P. nudum by Hooker (Handbk N.Z. Fl. 1864, 272).

P. variegatum. Original locality: "Glenross, County of Hawke's Bay; 1887: Mr. D. P. Balfour". No specimens found in Herb. Colenso, WELT, or at AK.

In describing P. nudum Hooker did not mention the margin of the labellum, but in the 2 localities named in the protologue, and in districts between them, only plants with ciliate margins are known. These plants also match the description of P. nudum given by Hooker in Flora Tasmaniae (2, 1858, 14, t. 113C) including "lamina . . . marginibus fimbriatis", and the figure, drawn from a Tasmanian plant, differs only in rather less acute lateral processes of the column. Confusion arose when Hooker (Handbk N.Z. Fl. 1864, 273) associated the name P. nudum with Tasmanian plants that he had described from meagre material under the name P. nudiscapum (Fl. Tasm. 2, 1858, 13), this latter sp. being attributed to the group "Labelli margo integra v. erosa, non fimbriata".

P. rufum R. Br. Prodr. 1810, 319 was based on plants from the vicinity of Port Jackson. N.S.W. having "labelli lamina obovato-cuneata apice denticulato marginibus brevissime ciliatis". The name has been variously applied in Australia, and it is uncertain whether or not Cheeseman was correct in regarding P. nudum as a synonym.