FROM UPPER BURMA AND THE SHAN STATES. 9 
the Shan plateaux, and its seeds would be well worth collecting 
for cultivation in England. 
The trees in the upper forest-region, from about 4000 to 5000 
feet, are much infested by parasitic plants, belonging for the 
most part to the natural order Loranthaceæ, two of which, 
Loranthus Hemsleyanus, King, and L. Collettii, King, with 
showy dark crimson flowers, are new. To such an extent does 
parasiticism prevail, that there are phanerogamous parasites 
preying upon parasites of close affinity. A new species of 
Phacellaria (P. caulescens), a parasitic genus, belonging to the 
allied order Santalaceæ, was found growing on a branch of a 
Loranthus, itself parasitic on an oak—a rare phenomenon in the 
economy of plant life, which, however, hasa proverbial parallel in 
the animal kingdom. A second species, P. compressa, was found 
growing on Viscum monoicum. 
Orchidee. 
Among the Orchideæ are several novelties, two of which are 
highly curious and merit further notice. Cirrhopetalum Collettii, 
Hemsl., is a most singular plant, bearing five or six dark purple 
flowers in an umbel at the summit of a scape two or three 
inches high. The flower has little or no odour, and is remark- 
able for its extremely long attenuated sepals, which are highly 
mobile and are wafted about by the slightest breath of air. 
They are also furnished with a number of little streamers or 
banner-like appendages, which, as Darwin remarks of an allied 
Bulbophyllum, “ when blown by a breath of wind wriggle about in a 
very odd manner.” 
Whether these wonderfully elaborate arrangements have the 
effect of attracting the notice of passing insects, or what other 
purpose they may serve, might form a subject for interesting 
speculation; and I much regret that the small opportunities I 
had of observing the plant do not admit of my forming any 
theory on the subject. Suffice it to say that the spectacle of the 
long narrow sepals and the little streamers all waving about 
together is extremely fantastic and curious, and will, I hope, 
soon be seen in England, as there are some healthy plants of 
this species now growing at Kew. 
The other new orchid referred to is Bulbophyllum comosum, 
remarkable for the dense, bottle-brush-like raceme of flowers 
