I t
ll'i
OECHJDS Of" THE SIEEIJI-IIDI.lLiYA.
tho removal of tlic pollinia from the anther, tho caiiclielc (previously somewhat tent)
immccliutcij falls fonvard to the same plane as the gland, "wliile the pollinia move in
a i-everse diicctioa imtil they assiimc a position at right angles to the caudicle.
Pr.ATE 29i.—SaccoMum Fvmiiio, Eoiclib. fll. Two plants. Pig. 8, f rui t ; of iiatwal sizo. Fig.
1 a flower, 2 pi-ofila view of bract, sub-sessilo ovary, cohimu with autlier in situ, and lip, 3 section of
ovnry and lip, 4 apes of oxary aud column with anther in sita, o lower surfaoe of anther, 6 apox of
coIutQii with pollinia in siiu, the cap of the auther liaying been removed, 7 poUiuia after completion
of tho movement -H-hich follows removal, 9 section of frai t ; aU enlarged.
6 . SACCOLABIUII OBTUSiFOuuir, Hooli, fil, Ic. Plant., t. 2134.
Stem pendulous, -Sj in. tliick and 4 to 6 in. long. Leaves oblong, flat, somewhat
tapered to the bluntly bilobed apex and slightly contracted to tho jointed base; length
G to 8 in., breadth 1 to I 'Zo in. Inflorescence from below tho leaves or leaf-opposed,
longer than tho leaves; the pedimcle stout, with three or four short broad blunt sheaths;
the raceme about as long as the peduncle, densely many-flowered. Floioers "5 in. across*
Jloral hraci oblong, blunt, more than half as long as the shortly-stalked ovaiy. Sepals
ohovate, bhint, sub-connivent, tho dorsal concave. Petals broader than tlie sepals and
somewhat .shorter, blunt. Lip longer than the sepals, consisting mainly of a large very
wide-mouthed infundibuliform sac much curved forward and bulbous at the apex; tho
side lobes oa the edge of tho mouth of the spur near the column, small, triangular;
apical lobe tliickened, latcmlly compressed, poached aud 3-lobulate; tho two posterior
lobules oblong, blunt, directed backwards; tho middle one broadly triangular, acute and
directed upwards. Column short, rostellum beaked. Anther tumid, with a long beak.
Pollinia two, small, obliquely ovoid, attached by a curved proccss to tho apes of tho
large caudicle; uaudicle broadly cordato or 2-winged at the apex, narrowed below to
the oblong-lanooolate gland. Capsule fusiform, -ey in. long. Hook. fil. Fl. IBr. Ind.
VI, G-5. Uncifsra ohtiisifoUa, Lindl. in Journ. Linn. Soc. ILL, 40.
SikMm, at elevations of 3,o00 to ¿"ijOOO feet ; ia flower during September and
October; Pautling, Xo. 234. Bhutan; Lister. Khasia Ilills; Hooker and Thomson,
Mann.
The flowers are of a pale yellow tint, the apical lobo of the lip and the apicos of
the petals and sepals being of a brighter tone. The attachment of the poUinia to the
caudicle and the shape of the latter arc pecuHar, and induced Lindley to form for
the reception of all the species with the same arrangement the genus TJncifcra. The
pollinia lie inverted and aro attached to the end of a small cui-ved proccss wliiuh
proceeds from the apex of the caudicle. The caudicle is an elongated body broadly
cordate or two-winged at the apex, and tapcxiog to the point by which it is inserted
on the large clong-ate gland. On removing the whole apparatus from the anther the
wings of the caudicle close, but the polHaia retain their inverted position.
PLATE 2%b.—&accolaUim obtusifolium, Hook. fil. A plant, of miural size. Fig. 1 a flower, 2 bract,
o-rary, column with anther in situ, and lip, sitio wcxo, 3 apes of ovaty and the column, showing the
inverted poUinia the lai'go caudicle (r) and tho elongate gland {g), 4 empty anther/<•()»? the side,
5 pollinia, caudicle and gland as seen from the front, 0 the tip of the caudicle and tie pollinia- all
cniargeU.
SACCOLABT0.M.
7. SACCOLABIUJI ACUMIXATUM, Hook. fil. Ic. Plant, t. 2135.
Siem slender, pendulous, 6 to 9 in. long, clothed below with the narrow tubular
sheaths of fallen leaves. Leaves lincar-oblong, slightly narrowed to the sheathing base;
the apex acuminate, not bifid; length 1'35 to 3 in., breadth -3 to -5 in. Racemes
leaf-opposed, rather shorter than tho leaves, 8- to 12-flowercd. Floioers '20 in across,
crowded; floral hract ovate, acute. Sepals ovate-rotund, the dorsal concave. Petals
broader, oblir[ue, sub-truncate. Lip consisting chiefly of an infundibuliform spm- longer
than tho ovary and boldly cm-ved forwards; side lobes rather large, rounded, erose;
apical lobe very fieshy, broadly triangular. Column short, tliick; tho rostellum large,
projecting; pollinia globose, attached to a thick hooked process proceeding from the apex
of the caudicle ; caudicle with two broad shoulders at its apex, gradually tapering to
the narrow pointed gland. Hook. fil. FI. Br. Ind,, VI, 65. Undfera acuminata, I.indl.
in Joum. Linn, Soc. IH, 40.
Sikkim, at elevations of 6,000 or 7,000 feet; in flower from July to September.
Gamble No. 10453; Pantling, No. 390. Khasia Hills; Griflith (Kew Distribution
No. 5257), Clarke No. 14,280, G. Maun; at 4,000 feet, G. Gammic.
The flowers are of a pale groen, almost white on the anterior lobe of the lip and
on the tips of the petals. Ou removing the pollinia from the antlier, tho cauilicle falls
forward suddenly to the same plane as the gland, aud the curved process at its apex
to wliicli the pollinia arc attached, is then seen to consist of a folded membrane which
opens along tlie upper margin and slightly sepai-atcs the two masses. This species is
rare in Sikkim, only a single specimen having as yet been collected. It is, however,
common in the Khasia Hills. This is allied to S. ohtiisifolium, but is a more slender
plant with shorter, narrower, entii-e, acuminate leaves and smaller paler flowers.
PLATE 2^Q.—Saccoliihiim acmninahm, Hook, fil. A plant, of natural sire. Fig. 1 a flower, 2 profile
of bract, ovary, column with author in iitu, and lip, 3 vertical section of column and lip, 4 apex of
column with tbo anther in siiti, the cap of the auther not having been removed; tho small siigmu (s) is
seen lenoath the rostellum, 6 apex of column with the poUinia, caudiolo and gland in situ, the cap
of the anther having been removed, 5 anther from the side, 7 pollmia, after removal; all enlarged.
8. SACCOLABIUM LASCiFOLiuii, King and Pantling in Journ. As, Soc. Bang.,
Vol. LXV, pt, 2, 122.
Stem slender, pendulous, 8 to 13 in, long. Leaves fleshy, linear, acuininate, aristate
at tho apex, slightly keeled, 3 to 5 in. long aud "25 to -3 in. broad. Raeemos axillary,
densely-flowered, 1-5 to 2 in. long, their peduncles as long as themselves and bearing
a few membranous lanceolate scattered bracts. Flowers -3 in. across; floral hraets minute,
triangular, mnch shorter than tho short ovary. Dorsal sepal broadly ovate, very concave,
its apex broad and slightly omarginate ; the lateral pair obliquely obovate, blunt, all tlu-ee
connivent. Petals oblong, blunt. Lip boat-shaped, its limb about as long as the sepals,
the apex vei-y fleshy, bhmt. Spur funnel-shaped, longer than the ovary, much curved
forwards, its apex not thickened. Cohinn very short, the rostellum beaked. Pollinia two,
globular-ovoid, attached to the indexed beak of the caudicle; caudielc broad below the
beak, much narrowed to the base; glaud elongate, notched at its base.
Sikkim, at Eissisoom, elevation 6,000 feet; flowering in June; Pantling, No. 152.