times all the three are united into a tube or vase
inclosing the other parts of the flower, as in Aggei-
anthus. These variations supply generic characters.
The posterior sepal is usually free, variously shaped,
sometimes spreading but oftener erect, more or less
boat-shaped and then forming a sort of hood or helmet
(galia) over the column, as if to protect it from the
weather, whence it is occasionally said to be galiate.
The three petals are placed within and alternate
with the sepals, the posterior or odd sepal having
the pair of petals next it, that is on the posterior
side of the flower. They, like the other parts of the
flower, vary in size and form, sometimes larger sometimes
smaller than the posterior sepal: they are some-
times conformable in size and shape; at others very
different, as in the case of some of the Hctbenarias,
where we find them divided into segments, nearly
to the base: occasionally they approach the posterior
sepal and combine with it to form the helmet;
and in some rare instances they are wanting as in
Monomeria (a genus I have not yet seen) and Ape-
talon (No. 1758), in such cases their absence furnishes
good generic characters, and their variations, excellent
specific ones.
The anterior petal or lip presents no end of variations
nearly all of which are pressed into the service
in the construction of genera. It is large or small;
membranous and petaloid or herbaceous, or fleshy;
spreading or folded, constricted or jointed in the middle,
(hence hypochile for the lower half, and epichile
for the upper, and mesochile for the middle); simple,
entire, or variously lobed; furnished with a spur or
without o n e ; furnished with glands, hairs, plates,
(lamina) or crests or plain; and lastly very generally
differing either in kind or- intensity of colour from
the other parts of the flower. In a word, so numerous
and various are the modifications of the lip that
it seems quite impossible to classify them, but nearly
all are employed in the description of an orchideous
flower, and so constantly that any description of one
without special reference to this part would be most
incomplete.
The column, which is placed in the centre of the
flower, is a compound body composed of the sexual
apparatus of the flower cohering into a single central
body. It varies considerably in form, being sometimes
long, sometimes short; erect or oblique, and in
the latter case often furnished at the base with a
process or sort of spur to which the lip is attached
and to which, when present, the lateral sepals very
often cohere. It is produced by the union of the
stamens and pistil, and presents several variations
noted in generic characters. The apex is very generally
flattened or more or less concave for the reception
of the anther, whence the term clinandrium,
or anther bed, which in such cases is applied to it.
Orchids have three stamens, but, except in a very
few genera, two of these are rudimentary and only
one perfect. All the three, along with the style, are
usually incorporated in the column; but the posterior
one only is, with the few following exceptions,
perfect
In Cypripedium the lateral ones are perfect, and
the posterior rudimentary, and in Euphroboscis (No.
1732) they are all three perfect and distinct! Here
also we find variations. The anther is terminal, erect,
or turned down on, and very slightly adherent to^ the
apex of the column, or adnate ; or it is dorsal, apparently
owing to the elongation of the apex of the
stigma, or rostellum, as it is called; or, as in the case
of Oxysepala (No. 1736), and some others, both filament
and anther are free.
The pollen, like all other parts of the flower of this
curious family, is subject to modifications and, for
the purposes of classification, its variations are most
important. It is either powdery or granular, or composed
of a definite number of little waxy masses
(Pollinia) which on removal of the cells of the anther,
or what I shall, in reference to its position, call
the anther cap, are seen lying on the apex of the
column either altogether distinct, or cohering by
means of some cellular matter, forming a strap-like
body (caudicle) through the medium of which it is
connected with the stigma (placed in front of the
column); sometimes the strap is furnished with, or
rather adheres firmly to, a disk-like gland of the
stigma, but which readily separates from it, with the
caudicle. The following extract on the application
of the pollen to the classification of the order, with
which I shall conclude these notes, I take from
Lindley’s “ Vegetable Kingdom.”
. “ In classifying this order, the most important characters
appear to reside in the pollen, which in many
is consolidated into firm waxy masses of definite
number in each species, and in others is either in its
usual loose powdery condition, or is collected in
granules, or small wedges, the number of which is
far too great to be counted. Of those with waxy
pollen masses, some (malaxece) are destitute of any
visible processes by which the masses are brought
into contact with the stigma; others (Epidendrece)
have strap-shaped caudicles which are either bent
down upon, the masses themselves, or serve to hold
them together, without, however, forming any organized
union with the stigma; while the remainder
{Vandece) have a caudicle which adheres firmly to a
gland found, on the upper margin of the stigma, and
separating freely from that organ. The genera with
powdery, granular, or sutile pollen cannot be classified
so conveniently by modifications of that part,
but are readily divided into three natural tribes by
peculiarities of the anther. In some (Ophrece) the
anther is erect, not hinged to the column, but continuous
with it, and stands above the stigma, the pollen
masses having their points directed to the base of
the lobes of the anther; in others (Arelhusece) the
anther is hinged to the column, upon the end of
which it is placed transversely like a lid; and in
others (JVeottece) it is also hinged to the column but
is stationed at its back, so as to be nearly parallel
with the stigmatic surface. If to this we add that
Cypripedece have two anthers while all the others
have one only, we find the order divided into seven
tribes of which the following is a tabular view.
I. Anther one only.
A. Pollen masses waxy.
a. No caudicle or separable stigmatic gland.
I. Malaxece.
b. A distinct caudicle, but no separable stigmatic
gland. II. Epidendrece.
e. A distinct caudicle, united to a stigmatic gland
I II. Vandece.
B. Pollen powdery, granular, or sectile.
. Anther terminal, erect.
b. Anther terminal opercular.
c. Anther dorsal.
II. Anthers two.
IV. Ophrece.
V. Arethusece.
VI. Neottece.
VII. Cypripedece.
( )
1622. Oberonia B runoniana (R. W.), leaves
ensiform, succulent, nearly as long as the raceme:
stem compressed at the base, furnished near the
apex with a short narrow falcate sheathing leaf or
common bract: raceme compact: bracts ovate, denticulate,
a c u te: sepals ovate, obtuse, reflexed, a little
longer than the narrow lanceolate petals: lip entire,
broad, cordate at the base, obtusely 3-lobed at the
apex, the middle one small or sometimes obsolete.
Flowers olive brown, the left somewhat darker
towards the centre.
Iyamally Hills near Coimbatore, flowering June
and July.
A large and handsome species; flowers large for
the genus; lip and sepals dark brownish-coloured,
petals pale yellowish. It appears quite distinct
from all the described species, and is certainly very
different from all the following. As being the most
conspicuous of the genus, so far as I know it, I
have taken the liberty of dedicating it to the President
of the Linnean Society, the first of living
Botanists.
1623. Oberonia platycauron (R. W.), leaves
long, narrow ensiform: stem flatly compressed, nearly
as broad as the leaves: raceme lax, flowers longish
pedicelled: bracts ovate, acute, the length of the
ovary, fimbriate on the margin: sepals ovate, lanceolate,
acute petals linear, narrower and slightly
shorter than the sepals: lip 3-lobed, lateral ones
obtuse, middle larger 3-toothed, the middle one the
least. Flowers whitish or pale yellow.
Pulney Mountains, flowering September. The
remarkably compressed stalk of the raceme and
the peculiar lip of this species easily distinguishes
it from all the others represented here.
1624. Oberonia Lindleyana (R. W.), leaves
ensiform, short, very succulent, slightly falcate: stem
compressed, spike drooping towards the apex, densely
covered with innumerable small sessile flowers:
bracts ovate, somewhat obtuse, sub-denticulate on
the margin: sepals broad, ovate, obtuse, entire:
petals narrow linear: lip broad cordate at the base,
crenate, two-lobed at the apex, with a minute
tooth between; all furnished with numerous minute
opaque glandular (?) dots. Flowers straw colour, lip
dull orange.
Iyamally Hills near Coimbatore, flowering August
and September.
The leaves of this species are very succulent,
and with its long drooping raceme afford good distinguishing
marks, which are amply confirmed by
an examination of the flowers. This species is
remarkable on account of the opaque gland-like
points scattered over the flowers. The bract is
represented too pointed in the figure. I dedicate
the species to the founder of the genus.
1625. Oberonia denticurata (R. W.), leaves
broad, ensiform, stem short, fleshy, compressed, spike
very long, closely covered with minute sessile flowers
: bracts ovate, serrato-dentate: sepals and petals
subequal, ovate, obtuse, reflexed: lip irregularly
triangular, denticulate, somewhat two-lobed at the
apex, each lobe bidenticulate. Flowers dull orange
colour.
Iyamally Hills near Coimbatore, flowering July
and August. Of this species I have given two
figures to show how it varies in size. The lip of
the smaller one differs from that of the larger, but
in all other respects, except in size, they seem suf-
ficently to accord.
1626. Oberonia verticerrata (R. W.), leaves
narrow, ensiform, sub-falcate : raceme erect, or inclined,
short peduncled: flowers verticelled: bracts
ovate, lanceolate, acute, fimbriate on the margin:
sepals short, broad, ovate, obtuse: petals sub-obo-
vate, obtuse, longer than the sepa ls: lip oblong,
slightly cordate at the base, 2-lobed at the apex,
lobes broad, roundish, spreading, slightly crenulate
on the margin. Ovary and sepals pale green,
perianth dull orange.
Neilgherries, on branches of trees, flowering during
the rains between July and October; also on
the Pulney Mountains.
This seems a very distinct species. I at first supposed
it O. anlhropophora, but a more careful consideration
of the characters of that species, led to
the conviction of its being quite distinct.
1627. Oberonia Wightiana (Lindley in Herb.
Wight), leaves broad, ensiform, a c u te : racemes
very long drooping towards the ap ex : flowers scattered,
short pedicelled: bracts broad ovate at the
base, acute, denticulate at the ap ex : sepals ovate,
obtuse, shorter than the linear obtuse petals: lip
three-lobed, lateral lobes strap-like embracing the
base of the column, middle one prolonged, ending
in two obovate spathulate spreading lobes, crenulate
on the margin. Flowers pale green.
Neilgherries and Pulney Mountains, flowering
August and September.
The ligulate lateral lobes of the lip of this species
is peculiar and at once distinguishes it from the
following very nearly allied species, with which, if
I mistake not, it was confounded in the first instance
by Lindley.
1628. Oberonia Arnottiana (R. W.), leaves
ensiform, sub-falcate succulent: racemes erect or
slightly inclined towards the apex, scarcely drooping:
flowers alternate, longish pedicelled: bracts
ovate acute, ciliate, somewhat sheathing at the
b a se : sepals ovate, acute, about the length of the
narrow linear petals: lip cordate at the base, 3-
lobed; lateral lobes broad ovate, obtuse, middle one
prolonged, forked at the apex. Flowers pale green.
Neilgherries and Pulnies, flowering September.
These two species were, I believe, mixed in the
collection sent home and named as above by Dr.
Lindley. Now that they are distinguished I have
much pleasure in associating my friend with them
by dedicating one of the two to him.
1629. Oberonia imbricata? (Blume), “ stem
simple, leafy, leaves compressed, sheathing, closely
imbricated, limb of the lip ligulate, denticulate.”
Blume.
Malacca, Griffith.
The leaves correspond well with the above too
brief and imperfect character, but scarcely the lip,
which is my reason for attaching the mark of
doubt to the species. Should it be found not to be
Blume’s plant, it might then be called—
B