Lyperanthus antarcticus was first discovered in the Auckland islands in March, 1840, by Lieut. Le Guillon, a member of Admiral D'Urville's exploring expedition in the "Astrolabe" and "Zelee." In November of the same year Sir J. C. Ross, in the "Erebus" and "Terror," also visited the islands; and Sir J. D. Hooker, who accompanied the expedition, obtained imperfect specimens of the plant.

All that Hooker could do in the first volume of the "Flora Antarctica" was to allude to the plant under the heading "dubii generis"; but an examination of Le Guillon's specimens enabled him to refer it to the genus Lyperanthus, and in the supplement to the second volume he consequently described it under the name it still bears.

In 1863 it was collected by Sir James Hector and Mr. Buchanan in the interior of Otago. Since
then it has been found to have a wide distribution in subalpine districts from the Tararua Range
southwards to Stewart island and the Auckland islands. In New Zealand it is most common between 2,500 ft. and 4,000 ft. elevation, but it descends to sea-level in Stewart Island.

Lyperanthus antarcticus differs from the type of the genus in the upper sepal being much broader and more hooded, in the less spreading sepals and petals, and in the shorter and broader column, but the differences are not sufficient for generic distinction.

According to Dr. Schlechter, the genus is confined to Australia and New Zealand, and is limited to four or five species. The New Caledonian plants formerly placed in the genus he now refers to Megastylis (see Engl. Bot. Jahr. vol. 45, 384).

Caladenia bifolia was also first collected on the Auckland Islands, imperfect specimens having been gathered thereon by Sir J. D. Hooker in 1840, and referred to in the "Flora Antarctica" under the heading "Caladenia No. 5."

A few years later it was collected in Otago by Dr. Lyall, and on the Ruahine Range by Mr. Colenso. Subsequent exploration has proved that it is by no means uncommon in montane and subalpine districts from Rotorua and Taupo southwards to Stewart Island; it is also found in the Chatham Islands, Antipodes Island, and the Auckland Islands. It ascends as high as 4,500 ft. on the Nelson mountains, but descends to sea-level in the Chatham Islands and Stewart Island.

Caladenia bifolia is a somewhat anomalous member of the genus, its habit being precisely that of Chiloglottis, to which it has been referred by Baron Mueller, and more recently by Dr. Schlechter. But, as I have pointed out in the Manual, it wants the essential character of the wings of the column produced into two lobes behind the anther. In this respect the student should compare fig. 9 of the accompanying plate, showing the column of Caladenia bifolia, with fig. 4 of Plate 198, representing the column of Chiloglottis cornuta. On the whole, I am still of opinion that the species is best placed in Caladenia.