160 OECIIIDS OP ïilE SIKKIU-HIMALAYA.
tracc is ill au artielo in Rees' Cyclopaîdia (1816), Vol. XXIV, under Stelis. Smith, the
author of the article alluded to, there dcscribcs, under tlie uamo StcUs tacmosa, a plaut
which he says Dr. F. Bin;hanan found growing on trees iu Nepal. Tho description
which follows does not in tho least suggest tho plant named Sunipia hy Lindley; and
in tho Index Keiocnsis it is given as a synonym of Liparis odorata, Lindl. {L. paradoja,
Keiclib. fil.). The remaining Iirdian species of Stelis described by Smith are S. hirtu,
ef wliicli Smith says—"gathered by Dr. Buchanan on mossy rocks in Upper Nepal;
tiowering in January" (a month when Sunipia scariosa, Lindl., is never in flower).
" Tlio inhabitants," continues Smith, " call it Stunpiang, whence Dr. Buchanan named all
the species of tliis section Sunipia, as composing a new genus, and the difference of
their haliit from tho original Stüdes countenances this measure." Smith's brief description
of Iiis SisHs hirta reads like that of a BiUbophylhiin-, and, in the Index Eewensis, the plant
is idontitiod with Bulbophyllam hirtum, Lindl. Smith's next species is S talis odoratissima,
•'with capitate fragraut Howors." Tlds has boon identified, and rightly as wo believe,
with JMbophuUim odoraiissium, Lindl. Smith's last Indian StcUs is S. b'ßora, a 2-flowercd
plant found by Dr. Buchanan in Nepal. The description hero again is tliat of a
Bulhoph'jlkim. Smith winds up with the following remark: ""Wo find among Dr.
Buchanan's drawings and descriptions several more specics referred to his genus Sunipia,
whose habit agrees exactly with our four last described. The parts of the flower,
however, appear more unefinal or irregular than properly belongs to Stelis, as is
somewhat the case with our S. hijlora. We leave them therefore (having no specimens)
for the future illustration, as we hope, of their ingenious and accurate discovcrer. " Tlie
probability thus appears to be that the majority of Buchanan's species of Sunipia belonged
to Bitlbopbyllim. Such, however, is the basis on winch Lindley {in his Orchidearuui
SceUios) built Iiis monospecific genus Sunipia, attributing it to Buchanan-Hamilton, whoso
idea evidently was that Sunipia contained many species! It seems probable that tho
g anus Sunipia never was defined by Buchanan, oven in his own mind, in any but tho
vaguest possible manner; and he certainly never published any diagnosis of it. Smith,
b y including Buchanan's Nepalese plants in the South American genus Slolis, threw no
light (but rather darkness) on their affinities. Sunipia is thus a legendary genus ; lone,
on the other hand (although dating only from 1853), is an excellently defined genus,
into which the plant named Sunipia, scariosa by Lindley most naturally falls; and to
that genus we, without any hesitation, now reduco it.
P l a t e 210.—Ioh« icariosa. King and Pantling. Part of a plant ; of natural sise. Fig. 1 a flower,
front Tiow, 2 ovary, column with anther in Mu, and lip, in profile, 3 petuls, 4 ape:: of oyary and
coltima stowing tho anther, pollinia and their appendagos and the large aub-orbioular stigma, 5 tlio
poUinia, one pair, in tlieir natural relation to tho caudide, the other pair puUed a*vay from tliu
caudlcle to show the elastic connecting threads; aii enlarged.
31. Crypto chilus, Wall,
Epiphytal; pseudo-bulbs crowded, 2-leaved. Loaves coriaceous, usually petiolate.
Inflorescence terminal, racemose, the peduncle naked. IHowers yellow or scarlet, secund, in
distichous spikes, shorter than the subulate persistent bracts. Sepals connate in a subcylinddc
or uicoolate tube, the acute apices alone free. I'clals included. Lip included,
adnate to tho short foot of the columa. Cohmn ercct, slightly dilated at tlie apex;
CTYPTOCHILUS. 163
anther 2-or 4-celled; pollinia 8, cuneate or oblong, attached to a single gland. Species
2, both Himalayan.
In liis Genera nnd Specifs of Orchidaceous Plants, Lindley reierred this genus to Vandcae; bat
ia the Botanical Register for 1838 (sub t. 23} he suggested its trangforenoe to Epidendreae in the
neighbourhood of Phajus and Acmthephippiim. Examiuation of li7iiig flowers oE tbo plants as they
grow in Sikkim shows that Liudley's first view was the oorreot one, and tliat the pollinia are eonueoled
to a gland which, prior to its removal fi'om the flower, forms an integral part of the stigtca.
I a C. htea this gland is very large, while in C. aangninca it is small.
Sepaline tube scar'.et, pollinia green
Whole flower yellow, pollinia yellow
C. sanguin
C. luti-a.
1. Crvptociiilus SAKGOiNiiA, Wall. Tent. Fl. Nep. 36, t. 26; Cat. 7o30.
Pseudo-lulbs ovoid to elliptic, crowded, liie adult sheathed at the base and bearing at
the apex two linear-oblong acute thickly uiembranous leaves narrowed at the base to
a short stout petiole; length S'Ct to 8 in., breadth -85 to I'o in., petiole about -5 in.
Racemes from an uudovelopei pseudo-bulb, on a stout crect peduncle longer f.lian the
leaves. Flowers '8 in. long, scarlot, secund in two rows; floral bract nearly as long as
the flower, erect. Sepaline tube slightly gibbous at the base, puberulous; its free apices
divergent, triangulir, acute. Petals oblanceolate, obtuse. I.ip oblong, entire, slightly
broader at the apex, somewhat deflexed from the curved base, smooth. Cuhmu stout,
short, puberulous in front, the foot short. Ant'ier sliort, 4-cellod; polUnia 8, ciineate,
sub-equal, attached to a rotund gland. Capsule oblong, erect, 'o in. long. Lindl. Gen.
and Spec. Orch., 193; iti Journ. Linn. Soc. HI, 21; in B.>t. Ileg. 183S, t. 23; Wight
Ic. t. 1757; lleichb. fil. in Walp. Ann. VI, 4Cl; Eook. fih Fl. Br. Ind. V, 827.
SiUkiin, at elevations of 5,OOU to 7,000 feet, conmion; Pantling, No. 36 ; in flower
from June to August. Distributed westward to Nepal and eastward to the Khasia and
Naga Hills, at alt. 4,000 to 5,000 feet; Griflith, Prain and others.
The sepaline tube is scarlet Avith scattered white hairs, tho free apices boiiig dull
dirty whitii t3 very dark purple; the petals, lip ani caluiun are bright yellow and the
pollinia green.
Plats i2').—Crgploc/tUns satu/uinea, Wall. A plant; of natural s'z:.
mouth of ft flower, 2 petals, 3 lip, 4 column with its foot aud anther i
column, anther aud lip, in pi-ollle, 6 anther, 7 pollinia; ali enhr<j:d.
Fig. 1 front view of the
( situ, 5 floral bract, ovary
2. Cuyri'cciiiLUS li;tea, Lindl. iu Journ. Linn. Soc. Ill, 20.
Psmlo bulbs crowded, cylindrie, 1*5 to 3 in. long, benriiig at the apox tv/o narrowly
elliptic, acute, fleshy leaves tapering into petioles, length 4 to 6 in., breadth -05 to
1 in.; petioles 'Oo to 1 in., sometimes much less. Ilaccme from a young psoudo-bulb,
fchortor than tho adult Kaves, its peduncle short or lung. Flowers nuaierous, in two
rows, sub-globular, glabrous, yellow, nearly •2<3 in. long; floral bract much longer,
linear-huictolate, ovary pubescent. Sepaline txbc nrceolate, tho triangular apices of the
component scpuls aioiie free. I'clals iiurrow'.y and obliquely rhon.buid, much narrowed
at tho base. Lip cLlong, slightly expanded, gioovtd and thickened towards tho opcx,
A-NS, Eoy. TUT. GAUD,, Calcctia, "VCI.. VIH.