895. CEginetia indica. (Roxb.) scape nearly simple,,
elongated, naked, one flowered : limb of the eorolla shortly
5 clift.
Jungles near Paulghaut, among decaying vegetation,
very abundant: flowering in June and July.
On comparing my figure with those of Rhee.de and
Roxburgh I cannot help thinking that, in quoting Rheede’s
figure as a synonym for his, Roxburgh has fallen into
error and that Rheedes plant is identical with mine but
different from Roxburgh’s, I must however leave them as
find them for the present.
896. Basblla alba. (Linn.) stem twining perennial :■
leaves ovate undulated : spikes pedunclecLsimple. Spreng.
iSyst. Veg.p. 95.
rfhi9 is a common plant occurring in every part of the
country: the succulent leaves are dressed and eat like
spinage. The most curious part of the structure of this
plant°is the seed the embryo of which is rolled up like
the main spring of a watch..
897. Euphorbia antiquorum. (Linn.) stems jointed
erect ramous, 3-4 or (more angled angles furnished with
numerous protuberances (floral eyes or buds) each armed
with two short spreading stipulary spines : joints straight:-,
peduncles solitary or in pairs, usually 3 flowered, a little
above the axles of the stipules.
Common all over India: a very polymorphous plant.
No character can be derived from the number of angles:
that being most variable. It is however quite distinct
from the following and easily distinguished by the-
straight not twisted stems and the peduncles being few,
one or two, from each protuberance or bud ; while in the
other they are numerous.
^■ 898. E uphorbia tortiles. (Rottler.) stems erect,,
ramous, jointed, joints spirally twisted, angular; angles,
furnished with armed protuberances ; flowers numerous,
fascicled on the angles: peduncles 3 flowered.
I suspect when this family shall have been more closely
studied the best specific as well as sectional characters
will be derived from the parts enclosed within the cup of'
the involucrum, the appendages of the flowers, that is,.
Viewing each stamen and ovary as a distinct flower
These parts, as shown in this and the preceding plate, are
sufficiently distinct in form to encourage further investigation
in that direction.
902. Microstylis Rheedii. (Lind.) stem leafy : leaves
oblong lanceolate plaited : lip truncated dentate, largely
overlapping at the base. Lind. gen. and species, p. 21.
Pulney mountains among pasture— August 1836.
This species has long rested on Rheede’s figure, and
Dr. Lind le y in his recent work “ Genera and Species of
Orchideous plants” remarks “ I do not think there are
any materials in this country sufficient for determining
exactly what the Malaxis Rheedii of Swartz is or rather
the Basaala Poulou Maravara of the Hortus M'alabaricus
upon which that species is founded.” Under the conviction
899. K gempfbria galanga. (Linn.) leaves round'
ovate cordate: spikes central, upper segments of the inner
border of the perianth; corolla, oval emargiuate.
This I have only seen wild on the Malabar coast, the
figure was taken from a plant I found in Travancore near.-
Trevandrum.
900. Rbmusatia vivipera. (Shott.) in No. 798,1 gave
from Roxburgh a figure of the vivipuous form (see, Arum
viviparvm) of this species. I here give the much rarer
one, in which it preseuts the normal form of the genus.
The drawing was prepared from specimens gathered at
Courtallum along with the other, this being exceedingly
rare, while the other was most abundant.
901. Microstylis versicolor. (Lind.) stem leafy :
leaves cordate or ovate oblong,abruptly petioled, undulated
plaited ; lip transverse, dentated on the margin, cucullate,
slightly overlapping at the base : column bicornate at the
apex sepals: and petals secund. Lind, genera and species,
p. 21. . . _
Liparis densiflora ? Richard Ann. des scianees v. lo.
Frequent on the Neilgherries and other elevated stations
in grassy pastures.
The specimen here figured was gathered on the Putney
mountains but is quite identical with theNeilgherry plant.
that this is actually Rheede’s plant I publish this
figure though less perfect in its details thau 1 could wish
partly owing to my indifferent acquaintance with the tribe
when it was executed, and partly from the Artists want
of practice at that time in representing Orchideæ.
903. Leparis olivacea. (Lindley.) leaves binate or
solitary, roundish cordate or oblong, acuminated, plicate,
shorter than the erect many flowered raceme : scape te-
rate at the base : lip obovate-retuse with a mucro, bituber-
culate at the base : sepals obtuse, lateral ones resting on
the lip. Lind. 1. c. p. 26.
Pulney mountains, on rocky clifts covered with herbage.
I have some doubts as to this being Lindley’s plant from
which it differs in some particulars. There are three in
place of one or two leaves and the lip is emarginate re-
tuse in place of mucronate, besides which there may be-
other distinctions.not marked.
904. Liparis atropurpurba. (Lind.) leaves two or
three, roundish, acuminated, petiolated, plaited,, obliquely
cuculate at the base, about as long as the erect, few flowered
raceme : labellum oblong, obtuse, recurved, crenulate':
lateral sepals oblong lanceolate oblique : petals long filiform.
Lind. L e. p. 28. _
Pulney mountains among rocky clifts sparingly covered
with pasture—also from Ceylon.
Flowers purple, large in proportion to the size of the
plant.
905. L iparis W alkerice. (Graham Bot. Mag.) leaves
two or three, roundish ovate, acute, petioled, plicate, oblique
at the base, cuculaie, shorter than the erect, many
flowered, raceme : peduncles angled : lip roundish, reflexed,
crenulated : sepals spreading oblong, margins revolute,;
the germen and filiform petals equal.
Graham Bot. Mag. No. 3770.
I am uncertain whence I obtained the specimen here
figured but believe it was at Courtallum in 1835. It is
much larger than the one figured by Dr. Graham, but is I
think unquestionably the same plant.
906. L iparis longipes. (Lind.) pseudo bulbs long,
terete, two leaved : leaves ensiform lanceolate : raceme
straight many flowered; scape ancipitous : lip ovate acute,.
without tubercles, length of the column : sepals ovate
petals linear. Lind. 1. c. p. 30.
Courtallum flowering in July and August. I have also
specimens from Ceylon. My specimens are all much
smaller than Dr. Wallich’s Nepaul one figured in the
Plant. As. Rareores.
907. P holidota imbricata. (Lindley) pseudo bulbs
ovate oblong obtuse, somewhat angled : leaves solitary, oblong
lanceolate, plicate, acute : spikes the length of the
leaves, pendulous; bracteasmembranaceous, concave, imprecated
: lateral sepals ovate carinate : lip subglobose
cuculate, lateral lobes small, erect, intermediate one two
lobed cordate. Lind. 1. c. p. 36.
Courtallum—I have also frequently met with it in other
stations also in Ceylon.
J