Journal Number 96
August 2005

HISTORICAL REPRINT

From TF Cheeseman's Illustrations of the New Zealand Flora, Vol.II, Government Printer, 1914.
Drawings by Miss Matilda Smith, engraved by John Nugent Fitch.

CORYSANTHES MATTHEWSII AND CORYSANTHES OBLONGA

[ family ORCHIDACEÆ .]         [GENERA CORYSANTHES , R.Br.]

Corysanthes Matthewsii , Cheesem. in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxxi (1899), 351 ; Man. N.Z. Fl. 693.
Corysanthes oblonga , Hook. f Handb. N.Z. Fl. 694; Cheesem. Man. N.Z. Fl. 694.

Corysanthes Matthewsii is one of the discoveries of the late Mr. R. H. Matthews, of Kaitaia,
who during a residence of many years in the extreme north of the Dominion paid special attention to the 0rchidaceae, and who added several species to the flora.

C. Matthewsii was first gathered in the vicinity of Kaitaia in 1898; but it has since been found by Mr. H. Carse at Fairburn, between Kaitaia and Mongonui, where it is not uncommon on shaded mossy slopes. It has also been collected by Mr. A. Thompson at Aponga, inland from Whangarei. No doubt it will be found in other localities, for it is not easy to exhaust the orchid-flora of any district, particularly as regards the smaller terrestrial species.

Their period of bloom, during which alone they can be positively recognized, is but short;
and their habitats are often of a recluse and sequestered nature.

C. Matthewsii is much more closely allied to C. oblonga than any other species, but can be at once distinguished by the rather larger flowers; by the much smaller lateral sepals and petals which are never more than half the length of the upper sepal, whereas in C. oblonga they are more than twice as long; and by the margin of the lip being either quite smooth or very obscurely denticulated, while the disc is furnished with a thickened patch of close-set deflexed hairs.

C. Carsei, a species which I have lately described from the same district, is also allied but its
flower is longer and often conspicuously deflexed, the dorsal sepal is narrower, and the lip
has a curious projecting lamina at its tip.

According to Sir J. D. Hooker, Corysanthes oblonga was originally discovered by Allan Cunningham; but, if so, it is curious that it was not included in his "Precursor." It was, however, collected at nearly the same time by Mr. Edgerley in some locality in the North Island, by Mr. Colenso at the Bay of Islands, and by Colonel Haultain in the vicinity of Auckland.

Subsequent research has proved that it extends throughout the whole length of the Dominion, from the North Cape district southwards to Stewart Island and the Auckland Islands.

It is usually found on moist mossy declivities in shaded forests, and although common at
sea-level it ascends as high as 2,500 ft. I have already pointed out the differences between
it and its nearest ally, C. Matthewsii.

The genus Corysanthes contains about thirty-five species. It attains its southern limit in New
Zealand, where eight species are now known. It stretches northwards through Australia to
New Guinea, the Himalaya Mountains, and the Philippine Islands and eastwards as far as Tahiti.
It has, therefore, the characteristic distribution of most of the genera of the New Zealand Orchidacece.

PLATE 199A. Corysanthes Matthewsii
drawn from specimens collected by Mr. R. H. Matthews in the vicinity of Kaitaia, Mongonui County.
Fig. 1, side view of flower (x 4);
2, dorsal sepal (x 4);
3, lip spread open (x 4);
4, column (x 6).

PLATE 199B. Corysanthes oblonga
drawn from specimens collected by Mr. R H. Matthews in he vicinity of Kaitaia.
Fig. 5, side view of flower (x 4);
6, lip spread open ( x 4);
7 front view of column (x 6);
8, side view of same (x 6).