S6 OUCHIDS OP THE SIKKIM-HIIJALATA.
Ceyl., 295; Hook. fil. Fl. Br. Ind. V, 70i . L. ellipiim.W^z^xi Ic. 1735. Z. ^Yiglllii,
Reichb. fil. ill Walp. Ann. VI, 218. L. Jlookeri, Ridley I. e. 288. Malaxis viridijlom,
Blumo Bijdr. 392, t. 54.
Sikkim-Himalaya, in tropical valleys not ascGiiding over 3,000 feet ; Pantliai?
No. 102; in flower iii November, Also in Upper Assam and Khasia Hills, in
Southern India, in the Nilgiri Hills and in Ceylun. Also in Java.
The pseudo-balbs of this species are, in speeimens from the south of India, some-
•\vhat four-angled but compressed; in other specimens tliey are, Avhcn fresh, almost
cubical. The inflorescence is at first erect; and, in this attitude, even fruiting racemes
are shown in Wight's figure (Ic. 1735). But they really become pendulous at au early
stage.
PLATE 47.—Liparis viridijlora, Lindl. A plant, of natural sise. Fig. 1 flower, Jroiit vmc,
2 floral bract, podicelled ovary, and Sower, side ticw, 3 lip, upper surface, 4 cohinin with anther
and apex of ovary, 6 empty author, 6 poUiuLa, eeen from the front, 7 the same, from iha sidv; ali
enlarged. •
22. LrPARis Assamica, new sjiccies.
Epiphytal. Psetido-hidbs and leaves as in resujniia'a. Racemes three times as
long as the leaves, much deflexed. Flowers sparse, '5 in. long; floral bract usually
shorter than the ovary. Sepals unequal, the dorsal erect, narrowly oblong, tapering to
t h e Sub-acute apes; the lateral pair larger, blunt, Ij'ing close together under the lip.
Pelals linear, obtuse, spreading, shorter than the sepals. Lip flat, about as long as the
petals, broadly-oblong, with short sagittate auricles at the base; the apes broad,
emarginate, with a short apiculus in the sinus; the upper surface with an elliptic
nectary and two calli at the base. Column broad at the base, tapering upwards, with
two shallow broad blunt wings about the middle, not hooked; and "with two
stout couvcsities on the posterior surface. Anilier obtuse. Pollinia as in L. resuinnaia.
L. rcsnjnnata, Eidl. var. Assamica, King and PantHng ili<S'5'.
Khasia Hills and Assam; Griffith (Kew Distrib. No. 5082), Wallich, G. Mann; in
flower during November.
This variety has not as yet been found in Sikkim, and we include it here owing
t o its relationship to L. resupinata, Ridleyj and to its var. Ridleyi. This plant has
such a different column and lip from these that we have given it specific rank.
On the other hand we have venfui-ed to reduce L. Ridleiji as a variety of L. resupinata,
because it differs only in size from the latter, and not at all in form. L. Assamica
has the pseudo-bulbs and leaves of typical L. resupinata, and the larger flowers and
much deflexed racemes of its variety Ridleyi. But it difi^ers from both iu its flat
emarginate apiculate lip, and in having a column with no hooked wings, but with two
convexities on the back.
PLATE ^Q.—Liparis Aasamioa, King and Pantling. tuft of plants, of natural siso. Fig. 1 a
flower, front view, 2 side view of floral bract, stalked ovary, colunm and lip, 3 column, showing
its wings and the anther siiti, 4 empty anther, 5 pollinia; ail enlarged.
23. Lipaeis KEsui'iNATA, Ridley in Journ. Linn. Soc. XXII, 290.
E p i p h y t a l . Pseudo-lulbs tufted, ovoid-cylindric, eheathiyi, '5 to 1'5 in. Lng, Leaves
two to four, membranousj alternate, linear-lanceolate, acute or acuminate, not narrowed to
the base, sessile, 1 to 3 in. long and '5 in. broad. Inflorescence 6 to 12 in, long,
sub-pendulous, terete; the peduncle slender and with many lanccolate concave spreading
bractcoles; the ractms long, laxly many-flowered; floral Iract linear, shorter or
longer than the ovary. Floioers golden-brownish, -25 in. long. Sepals oblong, obtuse,
longer than the lip, the dorsal rotrofloxod, the lateral pair spreading and not concealed
by the lip, the margins of all recurved. Petals linear, obtuse, spreading. Lip shoi-ter
than the sepals and petals, broadly oblong or ovate,, sagittate at the base and with an
elliptic nectary and two calli between the folds;, the apex broad, obtuse, its edges
incurvcd. Column 2-winged, and with a pendent filiform process from each wing.
Pollir,ia amber-coloured, translucent, clavate, their inner surfaces concave. Ilcok. fll. Ic.
Plantar., t. 1888; Fl. Br. Ind. V, 705.
Sikkim-Himalaya, alt. 5,000 to 6,000 feet, not uncommon; Pautl'ng No. 60.
Khasia Hills, alt. 4,500 to 6,500 feet. Assam; Griffith, No, 5082. In flower iu Sikkim
f r om October to December.
Var. Ridleyi. Pseudo-bulbs, leaves and flowers larger than in the typical form;
the raceme flowerless iu its upper part. L. Riihyi, Hook. fil. Ic. Plantar., t. 1887;
Fl. Br. Ind. V, 705.
Sikkim-Himalaya, alt. 4,000 to 6,000 feet; Pantling No. 201. In flower during
October, November and December.
The variety Ridleyi resembles typical L. resupinata in structure and colour. It
also grows at the samo altitudes and flowers at the same season. An examination of
t h e flowers of both by Mr. Pantling several years in succession shows that they vary
in exactly the same way. Sometiuies the floral bract is longer, sometimes it is shorter
than the ovary; its length decreasing towards the apex of the raceme. The lip may
b e ovate or broadly obloug, but it is always shortly sagittate at the base, the basal
folds being prolonged upwards, and between the lobes there is an elliptic nectary.
The rachises of the racemes of both are coloured like the flowers, and the pseudo-bulbs
and leaves are suffused with the same golden-brownish tint.
PLATE 48.—Liparii resupinata, Eidley. A plant, of natural siie. Fig. 1 a flower, seen from tlie
front, 2 a flower, in profile, 3 upper pai-t of the columu (the anther being removed), 4 an anther,
seen from above, 5 pollinia; all enlarged.
PLATE 49.—Liparii resupinata, Eidley, var. Ridleyi. A plant, of natural sise. Fig. 1 a flower,
front view, 2 profiU o£ a flower, with its stallioi ovary and braiit, 3 upper part of the column
(the anther removed), 4 aother, 5 polliuia, 6 inner sui-faoes o£ pollinia; all enlarged.
4 . DIdiciea, King and Prain.
free, spreading, subequal, narrow. Petals like the sepals. Lip sessile on
the base of the column and parallel to it, equal in length to the sepals, fleshy, ovateoblong,
concave, blunt, without lobes or teeth; spur minute. Column half as long
as tho sepals and lip, wingless. Anther terminal, 2-celled, convex, rather broad.
Pollinia 4, freo, wasy, and without appendages, unequal in size, obovoid.
As regards habit and esternal appearance this genus very closely resembles Tipularic.
I t diCEei-s, however, from that genus notably in its pollinia having no appendages. Thu
column in this is shorter than in Tipularia, and the lip has no lobes of any kind and only