OBCHIOS OP THE StKEIM-HIMALAYA.
column, and tho other conascfciug the two lateral lobes of the apex; whereas none of
the other species have auy calli on the lip. The flowers in the Sikkim specimens of this
are all red or ocoasioaally yellow; but, in other provinces, tliey vary to yellowisligroen
and purplish. The uuder-surfaces of the leaves and the rachis are in Sikkim
suffused with pm-ple.
PLATE 23 —Ilioi-osfi/lis congesia, RjioUb. SI. lailoresoeacs and loaf, of iiatural size. Pig. 1 a
flower, front view, 2 stalked ovary, colama and lip, in profik, 3 lip, 4 eoluma aad upper pLt of
ovary, 5 anther, 6 pollinia; all enlarged. In tho comer is a much r.duced figure of an entire plant.
7. MICROSTYLIS CVLINDROSTACHYA, Keichb. lil. in Walp. Ann. VI, 207.
Stem proceeding from the base of the small conical tuber of a former year, 1-5
to 6 in. long to the base of the leaf, and bearing one or two tubular wide-mouthecl
sheatlis. Lei/ solitary, olliptic, sub-aeute, passing at the base into tho lang tubular
petiole; blade 1-5 to 4 in. long and 'lb to 1'75 in. broad. loflorescenco 3,1'to 10 in.
long, the peduncle long, ebracteate, the raceme cyliaddc witli numerous crowded small
yellowish-green flowers about -15 iu. long. Floral hract lanceolate, shorter than tlie
ovary. Sepals sub-equal, ovate, acuminate. Peia's lincar-lanceolate, acute. Lij) fleshy,
broadly ovate, excavated, the margins thickened, angled and denticulate at the base
so as to appear lobed, the apes produced into a fleshy point; the upper surface having
a raised line running along its centre from apes to base, and two convexities immediately
under the column. Pollinia sub-obovoid, divergent, their points esserted over tlie corners
of the stigma, Eidley in Journ. Linn. Soc. XXIV, a33; Hook. iil. f l . Er. Ind. V
Dietiia cylindrostachija, Lindl. iu Wall. Cat. 103i; Gen. and Spec. Orchid, 22; Wi'dit
Ic. 16:^0. ' ^
Sikkim; the Lachen Valley, alt. about 12,000 feefc; Pantling No. 379. Choombi
(in Bhotan); King's Collector Nos. 409, 4709; flowering ia July. Also in the Nortii-
"West Himalaya from Simla to >iepal, but at slightly lower elevations.
PLATE 24:.—Mirrostylis oylindrodackya, Reiolib. fil. A plant, of natural sise. Fig. 1 flr,wer, front
vieiv, 2 view in profile of bract, subsessile ovary, column and lip, 3 front view of column, the pollinia
being absent, 4 an empty anther, 5 pollinia, 6 a pollen moss, in profile; all enlurged.
8. MICROSTYLIS MU3CIFBR.\, Ridley in Joui'n. Linn. Soc. XXIV, 333,
Siem from tlie apex of a small ovoid p.^eudo-balb, 1 to 5 in. long, and bearing
at least one tubular sheath. Zeavcs usually two, rather close together, unequal, ovat°-
rotund to ovate-lanceolate, sessile or petiolate, obtuse or sub-acute, somewhat narrowed at
the base to the sheathing petiole; length oE blade 1 to 2 o in., broadth 1 to 1-5 in
Inflorescence 3 to 10 in. long; the peduncles terete, ebracteate; raceme rather lux.
Flowers yellowish-green, '15 in. long; floral brad sliorter than of equal to the psdi^
celled ovary. Sepah sub-equal, broadly oblong-lanceolate, sub-acute, longer than the
linear petals. Lip broadly ovate, flesliy and excavated at tho base, tho basal part witii
obscure thickened convex side-lobes. Cjlumn very short, flesliy. Hook. fil. Fl. Br. Ind
V, 689. Dienta musaifera, Lindl. in Wall. Cat. 1935; Gen, and Spec. Orchid, 23.
In the Lachen Valley in Sikkim; Pant:ing No. 393, common. Temperate Uimaluyi
alt. 8 000 to 11,000 feet, eastwards to Kashmir.
MICEOSTYLIS. 21
PLATE 25.—Micrcstylis muscifcra, Ridley. A plant, of ncliirai »ize. Fig. 1 flower, front viae,
2 broot, stalked ovary, column and lip, in profile, 3 lip, 4 an empty anther, ó ptillinia; all enlarged.
9, MIC;>OSTYLIS MAXIXIOWICZCANA, King and Pantling in Journ. As. Soc. Bengal,
Vol, LXIV (1895), pt. 2, 330.
• Uhizome 2 to 4 in. long, sub-erect, bearing scattered rr^ot-fibres and leafy pseudobulbs
of varying ages 3 or 4 in. long. Leaves four or five, elliptic to ellipticlanceolate,
acuto, tapering to tho sheathing base, slightly oblique, 7-nerved, 5 to 6 in.
long. Baccvie about 0 in. long with numerous green flowers nearly '2 in. in diam.,
tlie peduncle of the raceme 4 to 5 in. long. Floral bracc linear-lanceolate, equal to or
exceeding the stalked ovary. Sepals oblong, blunt, their margins recurved, the lateral
paú- broader than the dorsal. F'.tak linear, blunt, all reflexed. Lip concave, • hoodsliaped;
its apex contracted, thickened, slightly crenate, and with two minute teeth .
above the pit; the side lobes large, sub-falcate, blunt. Columnar arms broad, overlapping
and hiding the anther; the stigma large. Lip of anther tnmcate.
Sikkim; on the Mungpoo Cinchona Plantation, alt. 2,000 to 4,000 feet; Pantling
No. 226; flowering in July; King, Gamble. Jaintia Hills; Mr. Rita.
The lip of this, although the flowers are in other respects very different, resembles
that of M. Jozophiana in being so very concave as to resemble a hood. In this
respect these two difíer from the other species of Mierostalis here described. The column
in this species also is larger than is usual in the genus, and has broad arms which
overlap and hide the anther,—an arrangement the meaning of which is that the flowers
are self-fertilized. If a fresh inflorescencc be examined it will be found that in every
newly-opened flower the pollinia have their points slightly exserted above the stigma.
If an older flower be examined fjom further down the raceme, the membranous floor of
the clinandrium will be found to have been absorbed by the stigma. A still older
flower taken from near the base of the raceme will show the pollinia in contact with
the stigma with their gi-ains germinating in its tissues; while at the very base of the
raceme young capsules may be found. All these stages may easily be found cn the
same raceme, as the flowers persist for a long time. These observations, originally made
on growing plants by Mr. Pantling in 1892. have since been confirmed. The' curious
habit of this species is no doubt accounted for by tlie fact that it grows amongst
long grass and other herbs more powerful than, itself, to contend with which, in
tho struggle for light and air, the peculiar semi-ercct long rhizoma has been developed.
Mr. Pantling has recently found that an exactly similar habit is assumed by plants
of M. Khasiana, and also of .1/. Walliehii and its variety hiloha, when they grow amongst
longer grass than usual.
PLATE 20.—Microstijlis lllaxiniotdcziana, Kiug and Pantling. Rhizome with pseudo-bulb of past
and present j-ears and infioroscence, of natural size. Fig. 1 flower, front zietc, 2 flower, tn profik,
3 loügitudiaal section of lip, 4 colanrn and npper part of ovary, 5 anther, 6 pollinia; all enlarged.
10. MICROSTYLIS JOSEPHIANA, Reichb. fil. in Bot. Mag. t. 6325.
Stem about 2 in. long, with several oblong acute sheaths, rising from the base of a
fusiform compressed pseudo-b\üb 2-5 to S in. long, covered with broad acuminate sheaths.