O R C H I D S OF THE SIKFIII-HIJIALATA.
1 3 . EKIA EXCAVATA, Lindl. in Wall. Cat., 1974 (in pari).
Pseudo-kdhs oTjlong, tapoiing to each end, comprossad, about 1-5 in. long, somewhat
shrivelled at flowcviug-time. Leaves four to sis, membranous in texture, mauy-nerved,
elliptic-lanceolate or olliptic oblanceolate, acute, 3 to 6 in. long and -6 to -To in. broad.
Raceme soUtaiy, terminal, about as long as the leaves, few-flowered, tlio racliis more
or less rufous-pubcsccnt; peduncle long, ebracteate. Floioers -35 in. lougj floral hract
slightly shoiier than the lomentose stalked ovary, lanceolatc, glabrescent. ScpaU cunnivent,
the dorsal broadly (jiliptio; tho lateral pair longer, falcate, all rusty-pubescent
externally and 3-uerved. Petuh narrower, 3-nerved, conniving over the anther. Lip
oboTato in general outline, 3-lobed; the lateral lobes erect, rounded and with, two
elongate calli between them; the termiaul lobe decurved, transversely oblong, its apes
bilobulate, the disc rugulose. Menium none. Column and its foot very short. FolUnia
clavate-elliptic, attached to a single small visciis. Capsules -8 in. long, oblong, ribbed.
Hook. fil. Ic. Plantar, t. 18-46; Fl. Br. Ind. V, 79-5. E. ezcwaU {m pari) Lmdl., Gen.
and Spec. Orchid., 67; Journ. Linn. Soc. Ill, 53. E. spliarochila and E. fiava, var. ruhida,
Lindl. in Journ. Linn. Soc. Ill, 54, 49; Hook. fil. Ic. Plant, t. 1845; Fl. ]3r. Ind.
V , 795. Octomeria excauata, Wall. MSS.
Sikkim, at elevations of about 6,000 to 9,000 feet; Gamble, King, Thomson;
Pantliug, No. 273; in flower during June. Kliasla Hills, elevation 6,000 feet; G.
Mann.
The flowers are of a dirty white colour, the end lobe of the l>p being j^ollow with
some red markings about its base. Wallich's specimens numbered 1974, and named
E. excavala, consist of a mixture of this and of E. confusa, Hook. fil. The specific name
excavaia was given on account of tho supposed concavity on the anterior surface of the
column and its foot. These organs are, however, not concave in fresh specimens o£ the
plant as ifc occurs in Sikkim. Sir Joseph Hooker's figures of this (lo. Plantar, t. 1846)
and of E. alba Lindl. (I. c. t. 1845) show that the two are closely allied. All tho
speciuiens gathered in Sikkim are, however, self-fertile. Their flowers hardly open, and
the colour is poorer than in specimens collected in the Khasia Hills, the flowers of
which expand freely and are not self-fertile. It is possible therefore that E. exeavata
is but a cleistogamic form of E. alha, and, if so, the latter name (in spite of its juniority
and of the mechanical law of priority) ought to bo kept up, and E. exenvata to be made
a variety of it.
PLATE. 171.—E n a excavala, Lindl, A plant; of natural site. Fig. 1 a flower seen irom above,
2 floral bract, ovary, column with its foot, antlier in situ, and lip in profile, 3 upper surface oE lip,
4 column and its foot, tte anther having been removed, 6 under surface of antlisr, 6 pollinia; all
enlarged.
14. ERIA COKOSAEIA, Rcichb. fil. in Walp. Ann. VI, 272.
Pseudo-hilbs tufted, thin, cylindrie, 5 or 6 in. long and -25 to So in. in diam
when young, with a large tubular sheath at the base. Levass two, terminal, subopposite,
sub-sessile, thickly membranous, narrowly elliptic to ovate-lanceolate, 5 or 6
in. long, and 1'25 to 1'5 in. broad. Baceme terminal, usually sub-horizontal, fewfiowereil,
its peduncle shoi-t and sheathed at the base. Flowers four to six, 1-5 in.
across; floral bract narrowly lanceolate, much shorter than the long-sfalkcd
ovary. Sepals sub-equal in length, spreading; the doreal elliptic-oblong, sub-acute; the
lateral pair with broad bases attached to the sides of the column. Petals like the
dorsal sepals, kit shorter. Lip oblong, 3-lobed; the side lobes largo, rounded; the
tei-minal lobe small, oblong, revolutc, with undulate edges and six. or seven cronate
ridges on its upper surface; the disc between tho sids lobes with two broad dilated
creuulate ridges. Column short, stout, longer than its tapering foot. Anther much
vaulted, 2-ccllod. PolUnia unequal, tho uppe" four being about half as large as tho lower
foui-, broad, compressed, united in fours by granular vertical membranes. Reichb. fil. in
Gard. Chron., 1876, I, 231. Eria suavis, Lindl. in Journ. Linn. Soc. Ill, 52. Eria
cnUndropoda, Griff. Notul. Ill, 209. Trichosma suavis, Lindl. in Bot. Keg., 1842, t.
21 ; Hook. fd. Fl. Br. lud. V, 827. Ccuhgyne coronaria, Lindl. in Bet. Reg,, 1841,
Misc., 83.
Sikkim, at elevations of 5,000 to 6,000 feet; many collectors; Pantling, No. 27;
in flower during November'and December. Khasia Hills; Griffith (Kew Distrib. No. 5117}
aud many other collcctors.
The flowers of the Sikkim plant arc in the main white, the lip being flushed witli
purple exteriially and havmg some dark streaks of pm-ple on the side lobes; the tei-minal
lobe, however, is yellow. In the Khasia Hüls the flowers are said to be more purple
than white. They are always very sweetly scented. This plant was first (1841} referred
by Liudley to Ccelogyne, then (1842) to Trichosma (a genus which he formed for its
reception); but was finally (1859) removed by him to Eria, of which genus he formed
for it the section Trichosma. Griffith also regarded the plant as an Ervi and named it
E. ajlindropoda. There is therefore good authority in favour of treating this plant as
an Eria rather than as the solitary member of a distinct genus. When Lindley changed
the generic name from Cahgyne to Triehosma he ought to have kept up the specific name
coronaria. In consequence of his not having done so, the authorship o£ the species as
an Eria falls to Reichenbneh filiiis.
PI,ATE 112.—Eria coronaria, Keiolib. fil. A plant; of natural size. Fig. 1 side view of a flower
from wbicli the sepals aud petals have boeu removed, 2 lip, 3 column with its foot and anther in
aim, 4 lower sm'iaoe of anther, 5 pollinia; all enlarged.
15. EEIA STEICTA, Lindl. Coll. Bot. t. 41 B; in Jom-n. Linn. Soc. Ill, 52.
J'seudo-lulbs crowded, without a rhizome, often cohering, cylindi-ic, 3-5 to 5 in. long
and about -3 in. in diam,, with loose fibrous sheaths at the base, and at the apes two
oblong elliptic sub-coriaceous sessile leaves tapering to each end, 2-5 to 4 in. long aud
to -9 in. broad. Spike solitary, erect, rising from between the leaves and
them in length, the peduncle naked, the raceme mauy-flowered. Flowers -1 to -15 in.
long, senund, crowded; the floral bract ovate, acute, glabrous, much shorter than the
woolly ovary. Sepals densely woolly outside, sub-equal, ovate. PeiaU ovate-rotund,
blunt, as long as the sepals. Lip sub-orbicular, concave, obscurely 3-lobed; the apical
lobe very short, broad, truncate; the side lobes shallow, rounded, the disc butween
them with a smooth depressed callus; the base gibbous and nectar-secreting, divided
into two chamber? by a short rib continued upwards on the foot of the column.
Column short, broad, the foot short. Anther without true cells, but with depressions for
the elliptic pollinia. Pollida in two masses of four each, each mass attached separately
to the quadrate gland by a granular elastic thread. Rcichb. fil. in Walp. Ann. VI, 271;