14 AJS'ÎÎALS OF EOYAL BOTANIC GAEDEN. CALCITTTA.
erosis V. subfimbi-iatis. Eeichb. f. in Gard. Chron. 1887 ii. 98; IIoolc f . Fl. Brit lurJ.,
T. 751, vi. 187. D. aurantiacum, Rolfe in Gard. Chron. 1888, i. 233. Hook. f. l. c.,
V. 748.
BEOTAN HIMALAYA {IC. in Herb. Jlort. CJeult). ASSASR {Ilort. Vdtch). SVLHKT, MehîUe
{in Serl). Kew).
Sims 1—2 ft., about ^ in. diam. ; internodes 1 — i n . Leaves 2—3by —Jin., spreading
and rocui-ved. Racemes solitary from tho upper ivud lower nodes; peduncle 1—3 in.,
cuiTed to one side; sheaths tubular, obliquely truncate, gi-cen and brown spotted,
pedicel "with ovary in. deem-ved ; bracts f in., obtuse, meoibranoua, white; flowers
I j in. diam. Fetals broader than the sepals ; lip with sometimes faint crimson atreaks
at the base. Column very short; anther taller than broad, tip 2-lobed.
A Tery fine species, fiist described by Reiehenbacb from specimens flowered by Veitch, and soid to
have been imported from Assam, probtvbly the Khasia liills or Bhotaii. The drmviiig is inscribed
" Sylhet, April 1875. llr. Melville, G. King." The same fi'om Dewangiri, Bhotan, " G. S. Jeuniogs, April
1866, J. Anders." In the drawing the unnumbered enlarged figure of the lip is represented as
ha-viog two small inflexed lobes above the elaw, which I did not detect, and I suspect that they are duo
to laceration.
Fig. 1, flower wi til the sepals and petals dotaohed and lip removed; 2, ovary and column; 3, anthcri 4 and
5, poUinji:—aZi enlarged. Tke .two unnumbered figures are a. bract and the lip :—ioi/t enlarged.
PLATE 22.
DESDROCIUM {Eudendrobium), PALPEBEAE, Lindl.
D. palpelrae ; pseudobulbis clavatis sub-tetragouis profundc canaliculatis, foliis terminalibus
oblongo-lanceolatis acutia, racemis breviter pedunculatis nmltifioris pendulis v. nutantibus,
bracteis parvis lanceolatis pedicello appressis, floribus amplis, sepalia oblongis
obtusis petalisque breviter unguiculatis orbiculatis ciliolatis candidis v. pallido roseis, meato
parvo rotundato, labello ampio esplanato breviter unguiculato late oblongo pubescente
et villoso-ciliato albo plaga bai5Ìn versus lata lutea. Lindi, in Journ. Ilort. Soc. v. 33;
Paxt. Fi. Gard. i. 48; Veitch Man. Dendrob. 67; Hook. f . Fl. Brìi. Ind., v. 750.
HAB.—SIKIOM HIMALAYA; in the Teesfca alley {le. in Herb. Hort., Calcutta). BURMA;
Loll), Berkeley.
Stems 6—9 in. long; internodes about 6, the upper 1 in. diam., bi-ight green, deeply
channelled, ribs rounded. Leave? 3—5, 4—6 in. long by 1—1| broad, bright green,
coriaceous, flat. Raceme inserted toward-s the base of the pseudobulb, nearly a foot long,
many-flowered; peduncle short, stout, decurved, with several short obtuse brown striate
sheaths, rachia green; bracts ¿—¿ in. long, white or pink; pedicel with ovary l i in.,
slender, pink; flowers 2 in. diam. Sepals and petals pure white, or flushed with pink,
faintly many-nerved, the petals twice as broad and rather shorter lihan the lateral sepals;
lip oblong when spread out, t!ie basal pai-t convolute, the rest forming an orbicular softly
pubescent and sub-fimbriately margined limb 1 in. diam., white with a broad golden area
in the centre and base. Column very short.
A CE>-TURR OF INDIA^'• OHCHIDS ; {J. D. HOOEER). 15
It is singular that this beautiful plant, though introduced into England by Meaera. Veitch from
Moiilinein previous to 1849, should never have been figured in any published work on orchids. Tho
drawing here reproduced is inscribed " Garden of iir. Lynara, March 1867, T. Anders. The same
from Teesta valley on sal trees, March 1867, T. A." It must be a very rare plant, having
hitherto been found nowhere but once in Sikkim, and by two collectors in I3urma.
Fig. 1, lower: 2, column witli antlier; 3, authori 4, pollinia;—a/Z enlarged.
PLATE 23.
BULBORNYLLUSI {Euhulbophillum) POLYEHIZUM, Lindi.
B. pohjrMzim ; pseudobulbis parvis dense coespitosis globoso-ovoideis florcntibus
aphyllis, scapo basi pseudobulbi gracih erecto, racemo laxifloro, bracteis minutis, floribus
brevissime pedicellatis parvis fiavis, sepalis lateralibus oblongis subfalcatis obtusis, petalis
ovato-oblongis obtusis, labcllo sessili ovato obtuso, columnoe dentibus brevibns. Lindi. Gen.
andSp. Orchid, 53; Hook. f . FL Brìi. Ind. v. 767.
HAB.—NEPAL? Wullieh {le. in Herb., Eciv). SiiuaM; Lister (7c. Herb. Hort. Bot.
Calc.).
On Plate 23 are represented two plants, which may be different, but which agree so closely :n the
structure of their flowers that they ai'o more probably varieties. Both have densely clustered small pseudobulbs
about the size of hazel nuts, apparently forming matted masses on the trunks of trees, leafless at
flowering time, and bearing very slenrter scapes with las racemes of small yellow flowers. That figured as
B is from a collection of drawings received at Kew from the India House, on the Indian Government being
taken over by the State. It is inscribed " Dendrobiim pohjrbizum. Wall, y^rkles?" ia WaUich's handwriting,
and is no doubt the type of the species. It has smooth, striated pseudobulbs, and the flowers are
greenish. That maiked A is from the Calcutta collection of orchid drawings, and is inscribed "Sent
from Sikkim hy Mr. Lister, fld. in H. B. 0., 4th April 1877, G. King." It represeots a plant with more
oblong-ovate pseudobulbs, twice, rarely thrice, constricted transversely, as if formed of three internodes, and
these internodes are vertically traversed by many deep grooves with tumid interspaoes, the whole
pseudobulbs having (as drawn) somewhat the appearance of three superposed rows of green oblong beads.
The pseudobulbs further emit surculi from their bases, which are not shown in the other, drawing.
IN both the hase of the pseudobxilb is copiously supplied with fibrous roots. To identify specifically
figure A with B it is necessary to suppose that the pseudobulbs of tho former are old and shrivelled
allowing" something also for the fancy of the native artist. With regard {o the diSerenoe in tho size
and colour of the-flowers, here, again, too much reliance must not be placed on the artist's work. The
flowers of A ere evidently giving place to fruit, and thoiigh its sepals aro represented as acuminate in
the di'awing of the natural size, and at figure 1 of the analyses, they are not BO ia the enlarged
figure 2, the sepals of which accord sufliciently well with those of B2 and 3. The sessile lip is the
eaine in both, as are the short teeth at the top of the column. The preximity of Sikkim to Nepal
is a further indication of the two figures representing different states of one species.
I have only further to observe that the figures in tho plate represent but very small portions of
great masses depioted in the original drawings of both, and that it must be left to future observers
to clear up any remaining doubts as to whether A is a distinct species or variety, which in either ease,
if the drawing be faithful, might bear the name of sonnle.
, Fi^. A, tlie Sikkim pkut; Pig. 1, flower; 2. tho same with the sepals and petals detached; 3 and i. anther' 5
pollajiia:—aíí enlarged. . ' '
Eg B, the Nepal pbat (B. polyrhi^um, Wall.); B1 and 2, flowers; B3, the saiae with thesepals and petals
dotaoaed 1—<tW enlarged.