204 ORCHIDS OF THE SIKKIM-HIJIALATA.
5. Lmsu TOLUCRis, Liudl., Fol. Orch., 1.
Pendulous; stems slender, 2 to 5 feet long, bi-auchiug. leaves inserted on one siJe
only of the stem, rather slender, -15 in. thick, and 6 to 8 in. long, intcrnodcs 2 in.
long. Spikes rising half way between tho leaves, '5 in. long. Flowers 3 or 4, expanding
only ono at a time; Iract broad, blunt, sheathing S?pals sub-equal, spreading, oblong,
obtuse, the lateral pan- concave towards the apex, all keeled on the midrib behind.
Petals equalling the sepals in length at fii-st, but lengthening to more than twice aa long,
linear, spathulato, widely spreading. Lip slightly longer than the sspals, the basal part
(hypochile) cuncate-quadi-ate, auricled at the base, the edges upturned; the apical part
(epichyle) decurvcd, oblong-cordate, narrowed to the rather broad emarginate apex, the
edges crenate-undulate, and the upper sui-faco with shallow broad vertical ridges. Colimn
about half as long as the Hp, broad, dilated opposite the largj transversely oval stigma.
Anther depressed, sub-quadi-ate. Polllnia oval, attashsd by a broad short caudicle to
a transversely elongate gland. Wp. Ann. YI, 619 ; Hook fil. Fl. Br. Ind. VI, 23.
L. fiU/ormis, Hook, fil. Fl. Br, Ind. VI, 23. L. Grovesii, Hook. fil. l.c. 25.
Sikkim, at low elevations; in flower doling March and April; Pantling, No. 122.
Khasia HiUs.
A species with pendulous habit, much resembling Sarciiit'ms fiUformis, Lindl., the stems
often attaining a length of as much as five feet. The sapals and petals are always of
a pale green, The lip varies in colour, somstiinos resembling the sepals and petals,
but in other specimens being wholly of a dull dark purplish-brown. In the majority (as
depicted in the figure; the epichyle is broadly margined with pale gi-ecn.
PLATE 273.—Liiisia voluiris, Lindl, L plant; of natural size. Fig. 1 a flower, 2 flornl bract, stalked
ovary, columu with anther ia situ, and lip, 3 columu mill the aather in situ and the stignia, front
view, 4 apex of colunm with the poUinia in situ (the cap of the anther having been removed),
6 pollinia after having; completed their movement, 6 empty anther, from helow; all enlarged.
44. Diploprora, Hook. fil.
Sim short, slender, pendulous. leaves flaccid ly fleshy, oblong-lanceolate, sessile;
peduncle shoi-t, leaf-opposed, few-flowered. Sepals elliptic, keeled, spreading. Petals
oblong, obtuse, reflesed. Lip as long as the petals, adnate to the base and also slightly
to tlie sides of the column, eymbiform and sigmoidly curved; the hypochile concave,
with recurved erect edges; the epichyle triangular, compressed and suddenly narrowed
to the bicaudate apex, the disc with an ercct keel. Column very short, with no foot.
Stigma large. Antkzr conical, 2-celled. Pollinia 2, ovoid, bifid behind; caudicle short?
fiat; gland small, thin. Capsule narrow. Tlie only species.
This genua is allied to Lui^ia and Vanda, from both of which it differs in the suddenly contracted,
laterally compressed, spicaily hilid epichyle of ifa lip. From Luisia it is at once distmg^uished by
having flat instead of terete leaves. When dried the leaves appear to be membranous in texture; th^iy
nro, however, not really so when olive. On the contrary, they are then thick and almost coriaceonfl.
The plump appearance is due to the presence of much water in their tissues, the removal of which by
dryizig gives rise to their membranous appearance in the Herbarium. As for as testure of leaves goes,
this plant mi^jht be a VanJa or Ara:ihnmihe, and its B3paration these ganera depends on the
I eculiaritie'} ol the lip.
DIPLOPROEA CHAJJPIONI, Hook, fil. Fl. Br. Ind. VI, 26; Ic. Plant.,
t. 2020.
Stem 3 to 6 in. long. Leaves flaccidly fleshy, acute, slightly narrowed at the rounded
base, 2-5 to 3-5 in. long, and -6 to -75 in. broad. Peduncle -5 to 1 in. long, ending
ill a short 3- to 4-flowored flexuose undulate raceme. Floivers -75 in. across; Jloml
bract short, ovate, keeled. Petals naiTOwer than the sepals. Hypochile of the Up
attached to tho lower part of the sides of the column. Column very short and
broad. Siigma large, caudicle of pollinia bent. Hook. fil. Fl. Br. Ind. VI, 26. Cottonia
Champloni, Lindl. in Hook. Jom-n. Bot. VII (1853), 35; in Jom-n. Linn. Soc. Ill, 39;
Benth. Fl. Hongkong, 357. Luisia Ucaudata, Thwaites' Enum. 302. Vanda licaudata,
Thwaites, I. c. 429.
Bhutan, above Engo, elevation about 2,000 feet; Gammie; Pantling, No. 284; in
flower duiing July and August, Khasia Hills; elevation 3,000 to 4,000 feet; Hooker
and Thomson. Assam, Mildi- Hills; Simons, G. Gammie. Ceylon; Thwaites. Hongkong;
Hance.
The sepals and petals of tliis are yellow; the Hp and column white, the latter
being marked with cinnamon-brown.
PLATE 274.—Biphjirora Championi, Hook. fil. A plant; of natural size. Fig. 1 a flower, 2 floral
bract, stalked ovary, column with anther in situ and lip, in profile, 3 front view of colunm, with
anther in situ, showing the stigma and rosteUum, 4 apes of column with poHinia in situ, the cap of
the anther having been removed, 5 empty anther from below, 6 poll in in; all enlarged.
45. Stauropsis, Reichb. £1.
Epiphytal; stem stout, rigid, leafy. Leaves coriaceous, flat or keeled, spreading,
bilobed at the apex. liaccmes extra-axillary. SepaU and petals widely spreading,'
spathulate-lanceolate or obovate, the latter smaller than the former. Lip smaller than
the sepals and petals, adnate to the base of the column, channelled, its basal part
(hypochile) concave, prominently amicled; the mesochile contracted, and the epichyle
thickened, laterally compressed and concave, the disc with two long glabrous or haby
ridges. C<jlumn short, stout, without any foot, tmncate at the apex. Anther depressed.
Pollinia 2, sub-ovoid, plano-convex, bipartite on the posterior surface, attached by a
caudicle to a large gland. Species about 6; Indo-Malayan.
A genua differing from Vanda cHcfly by its lip, which is neither saccate nor spurred at the base, but
which IS concave and auricled, tho mesochile being narrowed and the epichyle tliicfcened and concave.
The sepals and petals also are less narrowed at the base than those of Vanda.
STAUROPSIS UNCULATA, Benth. ex Hook. fil. in Fl. Br. Ind. VI 27.
Stem 8 to U in. long, erect, minutely wartcd like tho peduncle. Leaves narrowly
oblong, blunt, retuso, not tapering at the base, 3 or 4 in. long, and "75 in. broad.
Pcduncle leaf-opposed, stout, rigid, diverging, with a few distant short sheaths 6 to 8
m. loug; raceme lax, few-liowcred, 2 to 3 iai. long. Flowers 1-5 in. across. Sepals and
petals with yory wavy edges, all more or less retlexed. Lip adnate to the base only of
the columu; the amiclcs of tho hypochUc large, rounded, erect, embracing the columr,
mesochile short, epichyle concave, disc with two ridges running from the base nearly