2 6 0KCHID3 OF THE SIKSIM-HIMALATA.
7-nevved; length 6 or 7 in., breadth 2-25 to 2-5 in. Inflorescence longer than tlio leaves,
erect, striate; the peduncle with a few lanceolate reflexed bracts; raceme laxly-flowered;
floral hact half as long as the pediceiled ovary, reñexed. Flowers '35 in. long, yellow.
Sepals narrowly oblong, the dorsal one. acute, the lateral pair obtuse. Petals narrowly
oblong, obtuse, and, like the sepals, reflexed and with recurved margins. Lip flat,
orbicular-reniform, contracted at its junctioa with the column, the margins near
t h e base quite entii'e, at the sides and apex minutely erose; the apex, very broad,
slightly emarginate and mucronato; the upper surface with a narrowly oblong mesial
glistening and nectar-exuding patch extending from the base to the middle; calli two
jusS under the eolmnn. Column slightly curved, with narrow rounded win "-a near the
apex; the base somewhat swollen. Hook. fil. Ic. Plantar, t. 2008.
Sikkim-Hiiualaya; at Goke, elevation 2,000 feet; Pantling No. 336;
August. At Darjeeling; GrifEth's collectors.
PLATE Z\.~Liparh dejlexa, Lindl. A plant, of mtural sisn. Fig. 1 i
2 flower, back view, 3 column, 4 anther, 5 pollinia; all enlarged.
flower seen from the frout,
5. LIPARIS NEPALENSIS, Lindl. in Wall. Cat., 1945,
Terrestrial. Rhizome elongate, stout, bearing rather distant ovate-acuminate compressed
striate green pseudo-bulbs about 2 in. long; the stem terminating the rhizome,
etout, short. Leaves two, shining, broadly ovate to sub-orbicular, abruptly acute or "
shortly acuminate, the bases rounded or cordate, suddenly contracted into the long
stout sheath-like petiole, the upper one amplesicaul and sometimes (fide Hooker)
sessile, midrib distinct; lateral nerves about five pairs, curved, ascending. Inflorescence
4 to 10 in. long; the peduncle stout, ebracteate ; raceme sparsely flowered; floral bract
about '5 in. long, equalling the stalked filiform ovary. Flowers -o in. long. Sepals
hincaolate-acuminate, the edges revoîute, the dorsal one reflexed, the . lateral pair lying
parallel under the lip. Petals linear, spreading. Lip flat, elliptic, slightly cordate at the
base, narrowed to the apes, with a stout smooth central ridge ending in a mucronate
point and with numerous spreading branching purple veins ; the edges entire, not
undulate ; the base with two calli separated by a small depression. Column arched, its
base thickened, grooved, and with two purple spots just above its junction with the
l i p ; wing short, rectangular; rostella two, polliuia obovoid. Lindl. Bot. Reg. sub
t . 882; Lindl. Gen. and Spec. Orchid., 28; Ridley in Journ. Linn. Soc. XXII, 278;
Hook. fil. Fl. Br. Ind. V, 693. Malaxis cordifoUa, Smith in Rees' Cyclop. AciantJms
patiolatas, Don Prodr. Fl. Nep., 29.
Sikkim-Himalaya; common at elevations of from 3,500 to 5,000 feet; Pantling
No. 217, Nepal; Wallich, Khasia Hills; Griffith and others; in flower in May.
T h e lip and petals of this species are purple, the other parts of the flower being
green,
P l a t e 32.—Liparis Nepalemis, Lindl. A plant, of natural st
3 column, 4 pollinia : all enlarged.
Fig. 1 flower, in profik> 2 lip,
6. LIPARIS GLOSSULA, Reichb. fil. in Linnasa, XLI, 43.
T e r r e s t i i a l . Pseudo-lulbs ovoid, tufted, 1'5 to 2 in, long. Leaf solitary, oblong,
sub-acute, suddenly contracted into a sheath at the base, eometiraes petiolate, 2 to
LIPABIS. 27
4 in. long and '60 to nearly 1 in, broad. Inflorescence erect, longer than the leaf,
slightly winged, raceme laxly-flowered; floral hract linear, obtuse, shorter than the pediceiled
ovary. Flaioer '70 in. long, green, the lip pur[Dle. Sepals oblong-lanceolate, acute,
the dorsal spreading, the lateral pair lying par^illel under the lip, all with revoluto
margins. Petals Hnear, reflexed. Lip oblong, deflexe.l about the middle, concave and
with a shining fluted line running from base to apex; the basal or non-deflexcd part
without calli, the deflexed 01" anterior part Avtfch a broad rounded ciliolate cuspidate apex,
t h e whole lip veined and purple, the edges olive green. Oolumn with two short wings
near the apes, the base dilated into two lai-ge purple knob-like convexities. Anther
with a beaked apes. PolUnia obovoid. Ridley in Journ. Linn. Soc. XXII, 208; Hook,
fil. Ic. Plantar., t. 180Si; Fl. Br. Ind. V, 693.
In the Clmmbi valley, north-east of Sikkim; elevation about 11,000 feet; Pantling
No. 402. "Westwards along the Himalaya to Kumaon and Gharwal.
pLATii 33.—Liparis Glossula, Eeicbb. fil. A plant, qf nvtvral size. Fig. 1 flowor, froni ticw,
2 floral bract, pediceiled ovary, column aud Up, side view, 3 column -with pollinia in nii/i, 4 empty
aether, 5 pollinia; all enlarged.
7. LIPAKIS PARADOSA, Rcichb. fil. in Walp. Ann. VI, 218,
Terrestrial. Pseudo-bulbs narrowly ovoid. Stems tall, as thick as a pencil, about 6
in. high, slightly bulbous at the base, bearing several sheaths. Leaves two or three,
alternate, narrowly elliptic-lanceolate, acute, narrowed to the amplexicaul sheath,
plicate, o-nerved, 5 in. long and about I in, broad at the middle. Inflorescence
longer than the leaves; the peduncle finely striate, with one or two linear spreadi
n g bracteoles -25 in. long; raceme as long as, or longer than, its peduncle, fewflowered;
floral bract ovate-lanceolate, shorter than the twisted stalked ovary. Flowers
•5 in. long, green, the lip dull purple. Dorsal sepal linear, blunt, spreading, its
margins recurved; the lateral pair broadly ovate, 5-nerved, recurved. Petais linear,
obtuse, reflexed, their margins recurved. Lip quadrate, abruptly deflesed from tlio
middle, concave, aud bearing two erect tooth-like calli; its edges entire; its apex
broad, emarginate, erose, and with a short central apiculus. Column not curved, its
upper half hood-like from the large rounded cranulate wings. Anther acuminate. Ridley
in Joui-n. Linn. Soc. XXII, 261 ; Hook. fil. Fl. Br. lad. V, 698. L. odorata, Lindl. Gen.
and Spec. Orchid., 28; Thwaitss' Enum. PI. Ceyl., 295. Empnsa paradoxa, Lindl. in
Wall. Cat. 1937A {in part}, Bot. Reg. sub., t. 825; Gen. and Spec. Orchid., 17;
Miquel Prolus. Fl, Japon., 135; Thwaites' Enura. PL Ceyl, 426. Malazis landfolii,
Smith iu Rees' Encycl.
Tropical valleys up to elevations of 6,000 feet in the Sikkim-Himalaya; Pantling
No. 228. Kamaon-Himalaya, Naga, Hills, Khasia Hills. Near Mymensingh in Bengal.
Burma, Mysore, the Concan and Geyloa—also in Siam, China, Japan and Java.
Flowering in Sikkim from July to September.
T h e description aud figm-e here given of this widely-distributed plant refer to
it only as it is found in the Sikkim-Himalaya. The descriptions of specimens from
other regions show that they differ iu sonie respects.
P l a t e ZL—Liparis paradoxo, Eeichb. fil. A plant, of natural iize. Fig. 1 flower, front UCID,
2 a flower, in profile, 3 lower surface of lip, 4 anther, 5 pollinia; ali enlarged.
A-NN. Eot . BOT, GARD., CALcuTfA, YOL, VIIL