122 ORCHIDS OF THE SIK KIM-HI MALAY A.
t i m e of flowering of the two species is tlio same, and they are found iu similar situationa.
I l l many cases the flowers of this do not opcu; nevertheless the ovaries set seeds, and
capsules form and ripen, self-fertilization being effected by the rostcllum disappoaiing
f r om its normal position and being pressed against the back of the clinandrium, thus
p e r m i t t i n g the pollinia to come into direct contact with the stigma.
Pr.ATE 167.—Eria clausa, King and Pantling. A plant; of natural size. Fig. 1 stalked ovai^'and
iully developed fiower-bud, 2 part of ovary, eohinin Tvitli its foob, and tks lip, S93n from the side, 3
lip, 4 summit ot column taken from a nmturo but nnopsuod bud showing the anther and stigma, 5
the saoio with the onther romoved, showing the rostelluin (r) flattened against the baet of the
clinaudi-ium, 6 the same as No. 4 but from an older bud, showing the pollinia in process of absorption
by the stigma; all enUrgaU
10. EaiA FRAGnANS, Reiehb. fil. in Bot. Zeit. XXII, 415.
FInsome woody, covered with sheatlis; pscudo-bnlhs about an inch apart, 2 to 3
i n . long, ellipsoid, bearing several large uiooibranous sheaths. Leaves in pairs, thickly
membrauoua, raaiiy-nerved, clliptic-oblong, the apex acuminate, tapering at the base into
a short petiole; length 8 to 12 in., breadth l'2o to l-7o in. Raccme longer than the
leaves, decni-ved, rather las, the rachis more or less pubescent, the pedunclo with a few
lanceolate Iracts. Flowers numerous, aboat 1 in. across; floral hract lanceolate, pubescent,
longer than the stalked pubescent ovary. Sepah sub-equal, lanceolate, acuminate, pubescent
e x t e r n a l l y , spreading, their apices reflexed. Fdah like the sepals but smaller, falcate,
glabrous, spreading but not reBexed. Lip nan-owly oblong, 3-lobed, defiescd about the
m i d d l e ; the lateral lobes short, broad, sub-falcate, obtuse; the terminal lobe naaxowly
oblong, acute, its Tapper surface with fire crisped narrow ridges. Column short, rather
broad, shorter than its cm'ved foot. Pollinia reniform, attached in fours to two small
membranes. Hook. fil. Fl. Br. Ind. V, 794.
Sikkim, in the bottoms of warm valleys; Pantling, No. 91; in flower during July
a n d Au^st. Tenasscrim ; at Moulmein, Falconer, Parish.
T h e flowers are white throughout cxccpt for some red spots on the apex of the
column and on the side lobes of the lip ; they are very fi-agrant. Tlie species has not
h i t h e i t o been recorded from Sikkim ; its nearest allies are JH. larhata, Reiehb. fil. and
t h e Philippine E. stellata.
P[.A'1'E 168.—i";'/«! fragram, Reiehb. fil. A plant; of natural SIM. Fig. 1 front view of a flowor,
2 floral bract, apes of ovary, column and lip, seen from the side, 3 lip, 4 ooluma with its foot, the
author in situ, 5 lower siirfaoe of empty anther, 6 pollinia, side and front views; all enlarged.
11. Euia co>'PUsa, Hook. fil. Ic. Plant., t. 1850; Fl. Br. Ind. Y, 790.
' Psmdo-lulbs elongate-clavate, furrowed, imbricately sheathed at the bnso and with
two or three large sheaths 4 to 6 in. long scattei-ed along their sui-faoos. Leaven
t h r e e or more, thickly membranous, oblong-lanceolate, tapering to the base; length
4 to 5 in., breadth '6 to '8 in. Racemes from the axils of the sheaths below the
leaves, 2 to 3 in. long, their rachises puberulous. Floioers '4 in. across; floral hract
large, ovate, glabrous, longer than the puborulous long-stalked ovary, deflexed. Dorsal
sepal elliptic, blunt; the lateral pair broadly ovate, blunt, spreading, all 5-neiwcd. Petah
n a r r o w e r than the dorsal sepal, o-nerved. Lip 3-lobed; the lateral lobes broad, rouuded;
t h e apical lobe reuiform, decuiwed; the disc with three ridges, the lateral ones short and
EEIA. 123
ending with tl'.e side lobes, the central one long, extending to the apical lobe. Menitm
conical. Column rather short, its foot about the same length, slightly curved. Pollima
«íompresscd, attached to two vertical -elongated membranes. Eria Andersoni, Hook. fil.
l e . Plantar, t. 2069 ; Fl. Br. Ind. V, 795" (m pari). E. excavata {In part), Lindl., Gen.
and Spec. Orch,, 67; Wall. Cat., 1974.
Sikkim, at elevations of about 1,500 feet in the valley of the Teesta; Pantling,
No. 257 ; in flower during April.
The sepals and petals are dull yellow with reddish-lDrown nerves. Tlie lip has similar
nolouration, except that tli© apical lobe is bright yellow with brown margina.
After most careful ^eTaminution of all tiic available material both in the field and
in the Herbarium, we have been forced to the conclusion that E. confusa, Hook, fil.,
covrrs for the most part the E. Andersoni of the same author. The colour of the sepals
and petals of this spccics is ochraccons with brown stripos, the posterior part of the
lip being purplish-brown and the anteiior lobe yellow flushed with brown.
PLATE 169.—^'/••-I confim, Ilook, J51. A plant; -of nnhirul site. 'Fig.
stalked ovary, column and lip, 3 hp, 4 ooluma and its foot with author i
6 pollinia; all enlarged.
1 a flower, 2 floral bract,
situ, 5 infcei'ior of anther,
12. EkIA aceRvata, Lindl. iu Journ. Hort. Soc., 1851, 57, tviih jig.
Rhizome stent, clothed with 6brous sheaths. Pseado-hiilbs crowded, narrowly ellipsoid,
more or less comprcssed, furrowed, sheathed when young and with several transverse
cicatrices when adult, l-o to 2-5 in. long and -6 or -7 in. broad. Leaves three to
five, thickly membranous, narrowly-oblong or oblanceolate-oblong, sub-acute, minut-ely
e m a r g i n a t e , narrowed towards the base ; length 3 to 6 in., breadth -O to 1 in.
Racemes one to three, few-flowered, glabrous, from the axils and more than half as
l o n g as the leaves; the peduncle puberulous, boaiing four or five lanceolate, more
or less reflcxed Iracis. Flowers glabrous, about '65 in. long; floral hract lanceolate,
acuminate, euly half as long as the long-stalked ovary. Sepals sub-oqual, lanceolate,
acuminate, the lateral pair falcate. Petals similar to the sepals, but slightly narrower.
Lip obovate in general outline, narrowed at the base, 3-lobed; the lateral lobes
oblong, blunt, slightly narrowed; the terminal sub-orbicular or ovate, with thickened
e n t i r e edges; the upper surface Avith three parallel ridges from the base almost to the
apex. Column and foot about equal in length. Mcntum short, obtuse. Liudl. in Past.
Flow. Gard. I, 170 ; Hock. fil. Ic. Plantar, t. 1849 ; Fl. Br. Ind. V, 796 ; Eeichb.
fil. in Walp. Ann. YI, 269 ; iu Gard. Chron., 1S78, IOC. Dendrohium seriuium, Wall.
MSS.
Sikkim, at elevations of about 1,500 to 2,000 feet ; in flower during June and
J u l y ; Pantling, No. 170. Khasia Hills; Hooker, Mann.
T h e flowers are white, only the terminal lobe of the Hp being tinged with yellow.
T h e r e is considerable variation iu the size of specimens. Parish's Tenasserim specimens
a t t r i b u t e d to this species have shorter broader leaves,, and probably belong to another.
PLATE 170.—Eria aceivata, Lindl. A plant; of natx^ral ifse. Fig. 1 front view of a flower
2 floral bract, stalked ovaiy, column with its foot, anther, in siiu, and the lip, seen from tlie side,
3 lip, 4 fvoflt view of column and its foot with the 'anthar in siiu, 5 lower surface of empty
anther, 6 pollinia; aJl enlarged.
ANS. POT. BOT. GARB., CALCUTTA, YOL. Ti l l .
I ,