l i a ORCHIDS OP THE SIEEIM-HIMALiTi.
3. EKIA CONVALLARXOIDES, Lindl. in Wall. Cat., 1975.
Fsetido-^ulbs tufted, flattened. 3 to 7 in, loni, covered when young •with large loose
sheathing bracts'75 to 125 in. wide, leaves fonr to six, elliptic-lanceokto or chlancoolate,
acute, suhcoriaceous, many-nerved but not plicate, 4 to 7 in. long, and l'2ó to 1'6 in.
broad. Spi/ces cylindric, produced on the young growths and proceeding from the axils
of the bracts and leaves, doeurvcd; then- peduncles short, naked. Flowers sub-globose,
about 'So in. in diam., numerous, densely crowded; floral hract ovate-lanceolate, concave,
equalling the sessile p\ibescent ovaiy, the hrach at the base of the spike largest. Sepals
broadly ovate, obtuse, the lateral pair very concave. Petals oWanceolate-oblong, spreadiog,
nearly as long as the sepals but much narrower. Lip cuneate, obscurcly 3-lobed, concave,
the apex sub-acute, the disc without lamella;. Column rather slender, with a long muchcurved
foot. PolUnia clavafo, attached to a largo translucent sub-globular viscus. Capsulé
oblong, obtuse, not winged. Lindl. Gen. and Spec. Orchid., 70; in Bot. Reg., 1841,
t. 62, Misc. 58; in Journ. Linn. Soc. HT, 53; Reichb. fil. in Walp. Ann. VI, 276;
Hook. fil. fl. Br. Ind. V, 791. Oclomeria spicaia, Don Prod. 31. 0. convallarioidcs, Wall.
WSS. Finalia alba, Herb. Ham.
SiUkim, at elevations of 2,000 to 6,000 feet, common, Pantling, No. 41; in flower
during July aad August. Gharwal, Kmuaon, Nepal, Kliasia and Naga Hills, also in
Tenasserim.
The flowers are white or oE a pale straw-colour, the column being tinged with red
and the lip with yellow. They are quite inodorous. Specimens grown at low elevations
have often more slender pseudo-bulbs and narrower leaves than those from cooler
places, the spikes also are longer and not so densely flowered.
PLATE 161.—Eria comiUarioide», Lindl. A plant; of natural B'se. Kg. 1 a flower, 2 ovary,
columTi witli its foot, ontlier in situ and lip, 3 lip, i column sliowmg tte pollinia from wliioli the
anlher has been drawn baok, 5 antlier from below, 6 poUiniti; ail enlaryed.
4. EEXA PUMILA, Lindl. in Wall. Cat., 1972; Gen. and Spec. Orchid., 68.
Rhizome stout, densely covered with fibrous sheaths. Psoudo-lulbs rather crowded,
sub-cylindric or slightly clavate, compressed, 3 to 4 in. long and about -5 in. thick when
fresh. Leaves thaee or four, linear-lanceolate, tapering to each end, 2'5 to 3"5 in. long and
•3 to -5 in. broad. Flowers minute, in dense capitula '35 to "5 in. in diam. and home on
short axillary peduncles; floral h-act oblong, sub-acute, glabrous, as long as the tomentoso
ovary. Sepals broadly oblong, obtuse. Petals much narrower, but of the same length,
blunt, spreading. Lip broadly oblong, 3-lobed, with two calii near the baso which are
produced into faint ridges on the disc; the lateral lobes short, tooth-like, acute, orcct;
the anterior' lobe broad, hispid-pubescent, deeply bilobulate at the apex, the lobules
separated by a wide sinus. Column i-ather long, the foot short, flat, pubescent. Pollinia
stoutly c'avate, attached to a small depressed-globular viscus. Sligma with 2 minute
processes on its lower margin. Lindl. in Bot. Reg., 1838, Misc. 79; Walp. Ann, VI,
278; Hook. fil. Fl ]3r. Ind. V, 791.
Sikkitn, in tropical valleys, in flower during August? Pantling, No. 201; Khasia
Hills; Wallich. Tenasserim, near Moulmein; Parish.
The flowers are white flushed with pink, the upper part of the column and the
lateral lobes of the lip being red.
ERIA.
PLATE m.-Eria pum.ia, Lindl. A plant; of nalurol size. Fig. 1 flower, 2 floral braot, column
and its foot, autber iu and lip, 3 li^, 4 column, tke.pollLnia belüg shown by tbo delnscenoo
of the anther, 5 antber, 6 pollinia; all enlarged.
5. ERIA BAMBDSIFOLIA, Lindh in Journ. Linn. Soc. Ill, 61.
Slem 2 to 3 feet Ion<- and about -35 in. thick, enveloped in large blunt tubular sheaths.
Leaves numerous, thickly membranous, many-nerved, narrowly elliptic-oblong, acuminate,
tapering slightly to the base, 4 to 8 in. long and 1 to 1-75 in. broad. Racemes about as
long as the leaves, few-flowered, the rachises rusty-pubescent; the peduncles with scattered
broad short broadly ovoid pubescent bracts. Flowers -5 or Ì3i. long, distant; floral
hraet broad, sub-orbicular, apiculato, much shorter than tho long-stalked rusty-pubescent
ovaiy. Sepals rusty-pubescent externally, 5-nerved, spreading; the dorsal broadly elliptic,
blunt • tlie lateral pair similar but falcate. Petals narrower than the se])als, elliptic-oblong,
3-nerved, blunt, spreading. Lip ovate-oblong, deflexcd from below the middle, obtuse, with
small side lobes; the upper sm-face with three bold pubescent ridges from base to apex
end two short additional ones near the apex. Ment'Mt shoi-t. Column long, curved ; the foot
straight, shorter than the column. Pollinia obovoid-elliptic, compressed, attached to a
short granular membrane. Capsules cylindric, slender, 1 to 1-5 in. long. Hook. fil. Fl.
Br. Ind. V, 805.
Sikkim, at Rissisoom, altitude 6,000 feet; in flower from October to December;
Pantling, No. 355. Khasia Hills; Griffith (Kew Distrib. 5112), Simons, Manu. On
Mohendragiri, in the Ganjsm Hill Tracts, altitude 4,500 feet ; Gamble.
The flowers are pale brown with darker lines; the three ridges on the lip being pale
.rreon and the column yellow behind and pink in front. The unexpected discovery of
Specimens of this on the hill ranges of the eastern coast of Peninsular India, shows that it
must not as heretofore be regarded as a species peculiar to the Eastern Himalaya and
Khasia Hills, and is aa illustration of the scantiness of om- knowledge of the minuter
.details of the distribution of Indian Orchids. E. erassicatUis, Hook, fil., from the Khasia
range, is a close ally of this, but the flowers have a different lip.
1 6 3 . - E n a bamkm/oUa, Lindl. A plaut; qf natural size. Fig. 1 a flower, front viow,
2 floral bract, stalked ovary, column, foot, antber and lip, side view, 3 lip, 4 front view of column And
its foot with tbe antber dehiscing, 5 under surfaea of antber, 6 pollinia; all cnlarrjed.
6. EKIA GKAUISIFOLIA, Lindl, in Journ. Linn. Soc. ILL, 54.
Pseudo-bulhs n a nwl y cyhudi-ic, 4 to 6 in. long, coherent and rooting below, and bearing
when young several long tubular sheaths. Leaves two to six, thickly membranous, manynei
ved, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, narrowed towards the base; length 4 to 6 in., breadth
•35 to -75 in Racemes solitary or sevez-al produced from among tbe young leaves, souiewbat
shorter than the leaves, erect, the rachis glandular-pubescent, tho peduncle short. Fiotce,',
15 to 20 about -5 in. across; floral bract ovate, acuminate, shorter than the glandularpubesccnt
ovary. Sepals spreading, elliptic-lanceolate, the lateral pair broader than the
dorsal, sub-falcate. Peials oblong, sub-acute, sub-falcate, about as long as the sepals. Lip
fleshy', shorter than the petals, broadly oblong in general outline, 3-lobed, the side lobes
obloBii blunt, erect, incurved; the tenmnal lobe txausveisely oblong, iti apex emarginate
and with a large oblong callus in the middle; the disc with three pai-allel stout ridges,
the middle one^of which ends in tho apical callus and the side ones in two smaller calli.