Flora of New Zealand Series

Original locality: Vicinity of Port Jackson, N.S.W.

Plant at fl. to c. 60–90 cm. tall. Swollen rhizomes large, e.g. individual parts to 8 × 3 cm. Stem erect, stout or slender (2–7 mm. diam.). Scale lvs widely spaced. Fls us. < 20, ± drooping to bring dorsal sepal next to axis. Per. c. 10–16 × 4–8 mm., light brownish; lobes slightly thickened marginally. Lateral sepals connate almost to level of labellum-tip. Labellum ovate-oblong, rather shortly adnate to per.-tube; long median calli much crested; margin well-developed, undulate and ± lobed, membr. above, thickened below, confined to free limb. Column almost as tall as labellum, very narrowly winged throughout; anther short, operculate, filament smooth; stigma basal, far below anther.

DIST.: N., S. Mostly north of lat. 42º.

Open forest and scrub.

FL. (8)–12–(2).

The most southerly record is an old one––Kelly's Creek, Petrie, AK 3679.

Campbell (loc. cit 1964, 237–238) records G. sesamoides growing in association with Acacia melanoxylon at Silverdale, and describes slender, ± coralloid roots arising from the rhizomes. The same author describes the rhizomes of the other 2 N.Z. spp. as rootless, and relatively longer-lived. A massive coralloid growth of roots(?) on a Gastrodia rhizome received at Botany Division from W. Southland is, however, unlikely to belong to G. sesamoides.