6 ORCHIDS OF THE SIBLKIM-HIMALAYA.
Near the base of the Sikkim-Himalaya, at Salgurra, near Siliguri; elevation
900 feet; Paiitling No. 429; only once collected; in flower in February.
The sepals and petals ai-e of a pole reddish-brown, the lip being of a much darker
shade of the same colour. In its thick fleshy terete rachis this species resembles
0. •pachjrachk, Reichb. fil.; and 0, orbicularis, Hook. fll.; but it differs from both in
having the inflorescence quite free from any leaf, whereas in both these the peduncle
of the inflorescence is aduate to a leaf. Moreover, in both these species, tlie flowers
are sunk in pits in-the rachis; in this tKey are quife superficial. The leaves in this
are also much shorter and more fleshy. The flowers of this are very like those of
0. orbicularis as figured by Sir Joseph Hooker (Ann. Bot. Gard. Calc. V, t. 1);
but, in that species, the lip has no side lobes and is entire; or, if in the least
degree arose, it is so at the apes and not at the sides or base; -whereas in this
there are three lobes, and the apical one is quite eutire, while the lateral lobes are very
erose. From the flowers of this, those of 0. pachjphylla differ in having much
narrower petals and also somewhat narrower sepals.
P l a t e 4.—Oiironto pachyphylla, King and Pandiug. Two plants; of natural iizs. Fig. 1 flower,
front view, 2 floral bract, 3 anther, 4 pollinia; all enlarged.
5. OBEaONIA EMAEGINATA, 71
Slems slightly exceeding an inch in length. Learn linear, falcate, sub-acute, length
•35 to 1'35 in., breadth '1 to '15 in. short, with many minute linear bracts;
raceme about twice as long as the leaves, decurved, densely-flowered for five sixths of
its length, but laxly-flowered in the apical sixth. Flowers very minute (less than '02
in. long), verticillate; floral bract ovate-lanceolate, with a broad base and acute apex,
entire, longer than the ovary. Sepals and petals sub-equal, spreading, broadly ovate,
acute, slightly narrowed to the base, the margins entire. Lip about equal in length
to the sepals and petals, but broader, sub-orbicular in general outline, with a shallow
depression at the base below the column, 3-lobed; the basal lobes small, rounded, entire;
the terminal lobe large, with lobulate erose edges, the apes bifid, the sinus triangular.
Anther transversely elliptic, pollinia ovoid.
Sikkim, at Namgab, elevation 6,000 feet; Pantling No. 423; in flower during
This species is allied to 0. micrantha, King and Pantling, from which it differs in
being caulescent, in having falcate leaves, and in having the floral bract entire and
broader. The terminal lobe of the lip is moreover different in shape, and the sepals
are suiooth on the outer surface instead of being papillose as they are in 0. vdcraniha.
Pi:-.4TE 2k.—Oheronia emarginata, Eng and Pantling. Three plants; of natural size. Fig. 1 a
flower, seen from the front, 2 floral bract, spread oíd, 3 anther, 4 pollinia; all enlarged.
6. OBEEONIA aiicRANTiiA, neto species.
Stems very short. Z^aves linear-ensiform, sub-acute, not falcate, length -So to 1'35 in.,
breadth •! to -2 in. Inflorcsceme erect, longer than the leaves, slender, terete; the
peduncle very short, bracteolate; the flowering-rachis four times as long as the peduncle;
floral bract lanceolate, sub-acute, slightly erose, equal in length to or slightly exceeding
ORERONIA. '
tho ovary. Flomrs very minute (-35 in. long) whorled. SepaU broadly ovate, spreading,
entire, minutely papillose externally. Petals narrower than the sepals, ovate, entire,
recurved. Lip broad, sub-rotund in general outline, divided into a basal and apical
part by deep lateral sinuses; the basal part concave, fleshy but with no nectaiy, its two
lobes rounded and sub-entire; the apical part or lobe thinner than tho basal, transversely
elliptic, erose-dentate, its apes • minutely mucronate.
Sikkim Himalaya, at Tendong, elevation 6,000 feet; Pantlmg No. 324; in flower
in July. . ,
A species allied to 0. demissa, Lindl., but with different leaves, a tapering, not
ti-uncate, inflorescence, and a different lip; allied also to 0. emarginata, King and Pantling,
but differing in the points noted under that species.
PLATE ^.-Obcronia micrantiM, King and Pantling. Three plants, of natural Bite. Fig. 1 a flower,
front U.K, 2 floral bract, 3 anther, 4 poUinia; all enlarged.
7. OBERONIA CROPTIANA, «ew species.
Stms very short, tufted. Leaves only slightly fleshy, shortly and broadly en.=iform,
taperin- from below the middle to the acute apex, straight or sub-falcate, -75 to
1'5 in.°long. Peduncle of inflorescence terete, stout, shorter than the leaves, bracteate;
tlie raceme terete, usually much longer than the leaves (often twice as long), erect
at first, afterwards much decurved; the rachis thick and deeply grooved when the
fruit is ripe; floral bract elliptic, sub-acute, crenulate or sub-entire, equallmg tho
shortly-stalked ovary. Flowers reddish-brown, minute (about '05 in. long). SepaU
ovate-cordate, entire, spreading. Petals oblong, blunt, sub-crenulate or entire. Lip much
lar-er than the sepals or petals, oblong, 3.1obed, with a large depression near the base;
l a t L l lobes narrow, erose-dentate, the terminal lobe with two long blunt shghtly mcuiwed
apical lobules separated by a deep blunt sinus.
On the Sikkim-Bhotan frontier, on the banks of the Jaldakha river; elevation
about 900 feet; Pantling No. 254: in flower during October.
This is allied to 0. Falconeri, Hook, fll., but is a smaller plant with thinner leaves.
This has moreover oblong obtuse petals which are often sub-crenulate, whereas the
petals of 0. FaUoncri are lanceolate-acute and quite entire. The lateral lobes of ^ the
lip of this are elongate, narrow and erose-dentate, whereas those of 0. Falconeri, as
ficrured bv Sir Joseph Hooker (Ic. Plantar., t. 1780), are short, ovate-rotund and entire.
This is also allied to 0. parvula, King and Pantling, but that has a different lip
and is a smaller plant with its inflorescence always erect.
P l a t e QA.^-Oheroma Croftiana, King and Pantling. Tliree plants, of natural sise. Pig. 1 front
view of a flower, 2 floral bract, 3 pollinia; /rll enlarged.
8. Obeeonia Jekkinsiana, Griff. MSS. ex Hook. fil. Fl. Br. Ind. V, 676.
Stems about 1 or 1-5 in. long, tufted. Leaves narrowly eneiform, sub-acute, straight or
sub-falcate, 2 to 5 in. long and -25 in. broad. Inflorescence decurved, produced from about
the middle of the uppermost leaf and about equal to tho longest leaf in length; peduncle
terete, bracteate; raceme three times as long as the peduncle, densely-flowered, tho rachis
fleshy; floral bract ovate, acuminate, erose, equalling the shortly-stalked ovary, flowers