ANNALS OF KOY.lL BOTANIC GAEDEN, CALCUTTA.
PLATE 69.
SACCOLABIUM {Micrantha) INCONSPICUUM, Sook. f.
S. inconsipcuum-, caulibus intricatim ccespitosis teretibus ramosis, foliis 2—3-pollicaribus
funcifonmbus teretibus obtusis, floiibus parvis pallidis breviter pedicellatis pedunculo
perbrevi fasciculatis, sepalis petalisque late ovatis v. ovato-oblongis apicibus rccurvis
subacutis, labelH hypochilio lieinisplierico marginibus integenimi, opicliilio margine
hypochilii sessili triaagulari-ovato retuso v. eniarginato ? inconspicuo. Jlook. f. Fl. Brit.
Ind. vi. 56. Cymbidium inconspicuum, Wall. mss.
K:\B.—ASSAM, Jenkins (/c. in Jlerb. Calcutt).
Stems 6—8 in., as tLick as a duck's quill, tereto, flexuous, red-brown, striate, rooting
at the base only, probably forming pendulous interlaced tufts; interiiodes about ^ in. Leaves
about as thick as the stems, straight or slightly curved, dark green. Flowers J in. diam.,
in almost sessile supra-axillary tufts of 6—8 ; pedicel with ovaiy —^ in., curved. Sepals
and petals greenish white. Lip large for the size of the flower, -^vith a cup-shaped truly
hemispheric hypochil, apparently fleshy, with no indication of lateral lobes, green,
purphsb at the base, margins slightly everted; epichil greenish white, as broad as the
liypochil, flat, -without ridges, warts, or nerves. Column very stout indeed, purple, clinandrium
quite entire ; anther broad, fiattish, 2-celled, golden yellow; polliaia globose;
strap short, rather slender, gland ovate.
A remarkable species, quite unlike any other, of wliich there is an excellent drawing (reproduced
here) in the Calcutta Herbarium, executed under Wallich's superintendence, but of which I can find no
specimen in his Herbarium, nor have I seen it io any other. The speciraen figured is only a portion of
that in the original. In the shape of the lip, and especially the hemispheric hypcehil, it precisely
accords with that of the section Cakcolana, hut it resembles ia habit no species of that group in
foliage and inflorescence, and further differs in the perfectly smooth epichil. The same characters
remove it from the section Acampe. In the Flora of British India I doubtfally referred it to Saccolabium;
and after reviewing the Cymbidiece, I see no possibility of referring it to any other genus.
The drawing is inscribed in Wallich's handwriting, "90 Gymbidium inconspicuum, Wall,, Capt,
Jenkins, from Lower Assam."
rig. I, flower ; 2, tie Tritìi the sepals and petals displaced ; 3 and 4, antlier ; 5 polliiiiTim : -
PLATE 70.
SACCOLABIUM {Micrantìicè) GEMMATUM. Lindi.
S. gemmatum ) caule elongato flexuoso folioso, foliis linearibua decurvatìs semiteretibus
apicibus 2—3 dentati«, racemis elongatis graciliimis paniculatim ramosis multifloris, floribiia
minutis amethystinis v. albis purpureo pi^tis secus ramos paniculao sessilibus iisque
parallelis fere clausis, sepalis ovato-oblongis obtusis concavia papiilosis, pctalis obovatis,
labello oblongo v. obovato-oblongo subeymbiforuie carnoso crenulato, lobis lateralibus
obscuris, calcare sepalis »quilongo cylindrico obtuso. Lindi, in Boi. Reg. 1838, ilfisc. 50;
Wal-p. Ann. vi. 885; Hook. f. Fl. Brit. Ind. vi. 55 {ern
A CENTUBY OP INDIAN OECHIDS ; (J. D, KOOEEE). 47
H A B , — S I K K IM and BHOTAN HIMALAYA, alt. 3—5 , 0 0 0 feet. KHASIA and JYNTIA HILLS,
ALT, 2—4,000 feet, common.
Stems 6—12 in. or more, rooting at the base, strongly decurved. Leaves 2—4 in.,
fleshy, very variable in breadth, from terete and deeply channelled to linear and concave,
always recurved. Peduncle slender, 2—4 in., terete, green; branches of panicle spreading,
filiform, flexuous, green with ovato acute bracts at the forks; flowers in. long, rather
remote, quite sessile and parallel to the rachis; bracts broadly ovate, much sliorter than
the short deeply grooved ovary with alternate gi-een and red ribs. Sepals all amethystine
purple or tipped with white; petals purple. Lip white, rather longer tlian the sepals,
very variable in sliape, sometimes linguiform, nearly flat, at others laterally compressed,
blade white; spur variable in length, purple, sometimes cylindric and neai-ly as lo3ig as
the ovary, at others shorter and conic. Column veiy short indeed, with two terrainal
subulate processes. Anther broadly ovate; pollinia globose; strap broad, tongue-shaped?
gland large. Capmle sub-sessile, ^—s in- long, oblong, curved.
The drawing was made by myself in Sikkim, 2nd August 1848. In another, from the Calcutta
collection of drawings, the sepals are of a very pale rose purple.
Fig. :, side view of flower; 2, otbxj and lip; 3. lip; 4, top of ovsrj and column, 6 and 6, pollinia :—an
enlarged.
PLATE 71.
SACCOLABIDM {Micrantlue) PENANGIANUM. Hook. f.
S. penangianum-, caulibus fasciculatis flesuosis, foliis linearibus v. anguste liuearilanceclatis
canaHculatis oblique bidentatis, floribus minutis in racemuin parvuin puberulum
breviter pedunculatum confertis, sepalis lateralibus late ovato-oblongis subacutis
1-nerviis, dorsali multo minore obtuso obovato, petalis lanceolatis acutis, labello
supero sepalis multoties longiore in cornu incurvum comprcssum acutum longe ultra
iobos producto, disco carnoso, lobis lateralibus rotundatis, tei-minali minuto'' unffui
foi-me latcraHbus apposito. Hook, f . Fl. Brit. Ind. vi. 57 ei in Hook. le., PI. i. 2i29B.
HAB.—PENANG, OU the Sonkey river, Curtis. PEKAK, Kmstler (in Uerh. Cahutt.).
Stems 4 - 5 in., apparently tufted, as thick as a crow-quill, intemodes ^ in
Leches 2 ^ - 4 by \ in., spreading, cuiTed, keeled, tip usually acutely notched as
It were on one side, bright green. Racemes with the very short peduncle 1 - l i in
fi-uiting decm-ved; bracts subulate; flowers subscssile, a in. from tho dorsal "" 1
to the tip of the lip, pale yellow or whitish with a few specks of red i J w
sepa s veiy oblique, dorsal obovate-oblong rounded at the tip. Petals 1-nerved mlh
smaller than the sepals. Lip erect, much larger than the rest of the flower
a compressed or angled more or less inflated incurved acute hom with tLe oSfic!
and 3 small lobes close under the column, base contracted. Column v^y short
rosteUum inconspicuous ; anther hemispheric; pollinia globose; strap rather W
dilated upwards, gland minute. C.psules i in. long, sessile, oblong, eroded