Journal Number 112
May 2009

THE COLUMN

Eight Tags New and Old for Journal 111 Taxa
By Eric Scanlen

The Journal Indexer alias The Column knew not how to index four taxa in Journal 111, a fifth
(a Prasophyllum which had taken a beating back and forth in emails for months) needed filling
out, the yellow T. carnea needed distinction and a couple of other sun orchids came into question
too.

So he bullied the finders into putting an index tag on the unnamed ones so that they could be
referred to without dredging through all 260+ references on for instance, Nematoceras trilobum
agg. So the eight taxa below will indubitably clarify matters for any confused readers.

Thelymitra "Tohanga" [J111:Cover, 8, 10, 11] found by Kevin Matthews in ER4, at a low
hilly area known as Tohanga, Maori for "to hand out".

Doubtless a notable new form of T. carnea in that delicate orchid pink, big flowers opening more
freely in dull conditions and with a green floral bract, not the usual salmon pink; plants to 450mm
tall and up to six flowers on a stem. A maximum of five on our common salmon pink. About time
T. carnea displayed the variability expected in amphidiploid hybrids [1]. The index tag will save one
sifting through 87+ references to find them.

Incidentally, Jeanes & Backhouse [2] describe the Victorian T. carnea as brighter pink than the
salmon pink of T. rubra which has more ornate column arms. Don't be confused. Dawson et al
[3] have T. rubra with 2n=62 chromosomes from all four Victorian and Tasmanian specimens
so it too would seem to be one of the T. carnea agg. where T. pauciflora, 2n=26, crossed with
T. flexuosa, 2n=36, then doubled up to give the requisite 2n=62.

Thelymitra imberbis Fig.42, was Hooker's name for the rare yellow T. carnea of Kevin's
[J111:8,10 Figs. 12 & 14]. It is retained in the index as T. imberbis for ease of access.

The chromosome count of 2n=62 for this amphidiploid hybrid [1] of yellow Aussie T. flexuosa
and one form or another of Aussie T. pauciflora, is shared by both colour forms; possibly all four.

T. imberbis has thrown back to the yellow parent. It also has yellow floral bracts not salmon
pink as in like coloured T. carnea nor green as in T. "Tohanga".

Figure 42

Thelymitra "Otangaroa" [J111:11,19 Fig. 17] as "scented T. pauciflora" in Kevin's modest
terms, but not really like it being unusually pale and scented. However T. aff. pauciflora has a
like column structure. T. "Otangaroa" was at Otangaroa forest near Mangonui ER4, on 26 October
2008 and at Kevin's farm. T. aff. pauciflora in its northern livery of blue is uncommon in the far
north.

Thelymitra "sansfimbria" [J111:11,19 Fig. 23] the unstriped, perfumed form of Kevin's
and of his great, great uncle Richard's [4] from December 1904, has the other traits of striped
T. pulchella, that amphidiploid hybrid [1] of T. longifolia and T. cyanea. This tag saves students
ploughing through the 160+ index references under T. pulchella agg, looking for this unique
form.

Thelymitra "scaphifolia", Kevin's Thelymitra with an orange topped post anther lobe, from
25 Nov 08 [J111:11,20] showed up fairly convincingly in H.B. Matthews' 1922 B&W photo at
Ak Museum [7]. This orchid has had a chequered career being no doubt mistaken for T. aff.
pauciflora which also has the split column only yellow.

Then Allan Ducker spotted the orange top at Wilks Rd. Silverdale and it got tagged T. aff.
pauciflora "orange top" [J92:15]. The Editor amended that to T. aff. brevifolia [J94:12] from
Aussie T. brevifolia [2] but that has a coppery topped column.

The Column interpreted HB Matthews' description of T. "scaphifolia" as T. intermedia Bergg.
in 2006 [4] then the Ak Bot. Soc. had it as T. colensoi on Rangitoto Id. [5] in 2007. However,
the 2009 Colour field guide [6] has reverted it back to HBM's 1922 photo as Thelymitra
"scaphifolia", awaiting formal description.

Prasophyllum "Tohanga" Figs 43, 44; also J111:11, was also found by Kevin Matthews
at Tohanga and is included in the Colour field guide only as a possible. It has many of the traits
of Pr. hectori except that the flashy white labellum is replaced by a sombre purplish brown one,
the spongy looking green stigma has doubled in size almost obscuring the clear glassy tip of
the rostellum, it flowers in October/November not December/February and the habitat is damp
ground, not a reed choked stream. It has numerous spiky seedlings around so is likely to be a
new taxon but needs more info such as, do the seedlings reproduce close replicas of the parent
plants? and, if possible, what pollinates it?

Figure 43                     Figure 44

Nematoceras "tridobson" [J111:18,20 Fig. 30] is Gordon Sylvester's from 21 Nov 08,
tagged in honour of Arthur Dobson of Arthurs Pass fame. As the Editor noted, the round leaf
and longish, pointed dorsal sepal on an otherwise N. trilobum agg. plant, makes it look like an
hybrid with either N. macranthus or an N. rivulare agg taxon. However, this is an unique specimen
so it needs isolating in the index. It also needs some close inspection next season for the parents,
Gordon?

Nematoceras "triarthurs" [J111:21,35] Steve Reekie's N. trilobum agg. from a waterfall
behind the Outdoor Education Centre at Arthur's Pass, 2 Nov 08. The dorsal sepal usually covers
the labellum wings in this aggregate and sometimes protrudes obtusely but rarely draws back as
Steve's has. It could possibly be a parent form of N. "tridobson" above. This aggregate is fairly
unusual at this 780-800m altitude and at this latitude. No doubt the falls under canopy would
keep the air above freezing point even in heavy frosts. (Fig.46)

Figure 46

References

1. Molloy BPJ, Dawson MI. Speciation in Thelymitra (Orchidacea) by natural hybridism and amphidiploidy,
    Proc Roy. Soc. NZ Series 48, 103-113.

2. Jeanes J, Backhouse G. Wild Orchids of Victoria Australia, Rudie H. Kuiter, 2006.

3. Dawson MI, Molloy BPJ, Beuzenberg EJ. Contributions to a chromosome atlas of the New Zealand flora,
    NZ J. Bot. 2007, Vol. 45: 611-684.

4. Scanlen EA. Matthews & Son on Orchids, NZ Native Orchid Group Historic Series No. 14, May 2006.

5. Wilcox M. Editor, Auck. Bot. Soc, Natural History of Rangitoto Island, 2007.

6. Scanlen EA, St George IM. Colour field guide to the native orchids of New Zealand. NZNOG Inc. 2009.

7. St George IM, Scanlen EA (eds). NZ orchids in black & white: photographs by HB Matthews. NZ
    Native Orchid Group Historic Series No. 17, 2008.

Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Steve Reekie, Gordon Sylvester, Kevin Matthews and Ian St George for material in this article,
for their proof reading, timely amendments and their permission to publish.