Flora of New Zealand Series

Diuris novae-zeelandiae A. Rich. Essai Fl. N.Z.  1832,  163, t. 25, f. 1.

Orthoceras solandri Lindl. Gen. and Sp. orch. Pl.  1840,  512.

O. rubrum Col. in T.N.Z.I.  18,  1886,  273.

O. caput-serpentis Col. in T.N.Z.I.  22,  1890,  490.

Original locality: Port Jackson, N.S.W. Recorded also from other Australian States and from N. Caledonia.

Plant at fl. to 70 cm. tall. Tuber to 5 × 1 cm. Stem stiffly erect, axis of raceme often flexuous. Lvs linear-lanceolate to linear, channelled, acute, shorter than stem. Raceme to c. 20 cm. long; fls 2–12, well separated. Per. green to dull reddish, often with varying amounts of the two colours. Dorsal sepal 1–1.5 cm. long and almost as wide, deeply concave, subacute; laterals to twice as long, c. 0.5 mm. diam., semi-terete, erect or diverging. Petals narrow-oblong, flat, us. notched at tip. Labellum spreading or deflexed, of firm texture with smooth margins; lateral lobes broad, oblique; mid-lobe larger, ovate; median callus near base, shortly conical with thick tip turned inwards, often yellow; 2 smaller lateral basal calli us. present. Processes of column-wings linear, ± papillose, almost as long as anther.

DIST.: N., S. Few records south of lat. 42º.

Open scrub and banks.

FL. (8)–12–3.

Diuris novae-zeelandiae. Original locality: "Crescit in Novae-Zeelandiae locis montosis".

O. solandri. Original localities: North Id, Banks and Solander. Bay of Islands and Wangaroa, etc. R. Cunningham. Said to differ in bracts scarcely produced beyond dorsal sepal.

O. rubrum. Original localities: "Open ground among fern, high clayey hills between Napier and Mohaka, Hawke's Bay; 1870–76: W.C. Glenross, Mr. D. P. Balfour (a single specimen only)". Type: No specimen in Herb. Colenso at WELT, or at AK.

O. caput-serpentis. Original localities: "Open ground near River Moawhango, County of East Taupo; 1889: Mr. H. Hill". Type: WELT 24276, dissections in Herb. Colenso.

O. strictum forma viride Hatch in T.R.S.N.Z. Bot. 2, 1963, 188. Type: AK 116752 Brown's Bay (Auckland North Shore), 15/12/1958, P. Bond. Recorded also for New South Wales, Waitakere Ranges, and Ruapehu, locally abundant. "More robust than the type, flowering earlier from December. Flowers pale green with yellow labellum, the lateral lobes with pinkish markings." An infl. from the type plant "ex cultivation 1960" at CHR is pale but not notably robust. Neither size nor colour is mentioned in the protologue of the sp. Salmon (N.Z. Flowers and Plants in Colour 1963, f.412–415) illustrates 4 examples from the wide range of fl.-colours.