Journal Number 110
November 2008

HISTORICAL NOTE

Fragrant and Brightly Coloured Microtis

On 20 July 1841 William Colenso wrote to WJ Hooker with a plant list, and annotated one of them as follows...

• 81. A n. sp., of Microtis, found on the high and barren hills near Wangarei. Differing from M. Banksii, not only in appearance, but in its time of flowering, this coming out in the autumn, that in the spring. This is also smaller and its flowers are beautifully & delicately coloured with crimson and purple; whilst those of M. Banksii are green, or greenish yellow. Its sheathing fistulous scape, too, is not so long as its spike of Inflorescence, while in M. Banksii, it is a very great deal longer. The flowers of this n. sp., are often coalesced together, and are not so numerous as in M. Banksii. I subsequently found this, (on returning) on the high table land near Owae. The dry specimens are from the former, those in acid from the latter place, March, 1841.

WJ Hooker seems to have ignored it, but JD Hooker eventually described Prasophyllum nudum (Corunastylis nuda) in 1853, from 3 plants Colenso had collected from Wellington and Taupo. These were plants Colenso had sent in September 1847, with the following notations

• 1021. Microtis, n. sp., with a beautifully coloured perianth; only one found, nr. Taupo Lake.
  
  
• 1134. Microtis?n. sp., found growing with foregoing (1133 was collected from "dry clayey hills, S.E. head, P. Nicholson harbour"); only 2 specimens obtained, Autumn (April) 1847. - But compare with no. 1021.

On 24 January 1842 he was near Te Awamutu, and later that year wrote, "Leaving the swamp and entering on the plain beyond it, I discovered a new and elegant plant of the Orchideæ family and genus Microtis, possessing a beautiful carmine-coloured perianth, with pubescent scape and spike (203). It was, however, very scarce, and only grew in one low spot by the path-side. Most of the plants had flowered; but I was fortunate enough to procure two specimens that were still in blossom."

That one had to be Spiranthes.

Later he sent further specimens, such as

• 2404. Microtis, large stout sp., Taupo plain.

That was identified by Cheeseman as Prasophyllum colensoi, but I wonder what these were ?

• 4115. Microtis, another pretty species, sides of mountain streams, near Mokaipatea, E. side of Ruahine. Gathered in March, 1852. M. alpina, W.C.
  
  
• 4516. (Orchis) - hills, interior, 2 specimens; and 1 of a small Microtis having only 3 flowers on.

That last has to be M. oligantha surely, but M. oligantha was described by Lucy Moore only a few years ago, in 1969!

Colenso thought most of the Prasophyllum alliance, and seemingly even Spiranthes, were Microtis. But he had a sophisticated eye for the differences among them!

On Christmas Day 1875 he wrote to Cheeseman, "I remember a gem! which pleased me much: I never found it but once, but then it was plentiful and in a good state. I took it to be a Microtis, & named it M. autumnale, - it was coloured purple & yellow, & very sweet scented! - it grew with Thelymitra Colensoi. It is not one of Dr. Hooker's Prasophylla."

I have yet to find any earlier reference to the name "M. autumnale", but I wonder whether that was Prasophyllum hectorii, the only sweet-scented possibility in my lexicon.