or THE GEMJS LIPAHIS, 247 



developed, stout, woody, and persistent, the pseudobulbs being 

 often as much as 2 inches apart. In Z. repens the rhizome creeps 

 for a considerable distance ; it is not woody, but slender and 

 herbaceous, throwing up numerous small pseudobulbs, each of 

 which bears a single leaf, from the axils of some of which flower- 

 spikes spring. From this form of rhizome we pass easily into 

 the creeping section of the genus {Bamosce). These are South- 

 American plants, growing on damp moss or on wet trunks of 

 trees. The stem is covered with small petiolate leaves, without 

 any trace of a pseudobulb; towards the extremity of the creeping 

 stem one or more scapes are thrown up singly from the axils of 

 the leaves. The most striking species of this section is Z. hrachy- 

 stalix, Eeichb. f. 



L, JVelioitschiiy Eeichb. f ., is another quite aberrant species, its 

 habit closely resembling that of Goodyera^ having a creeping stem 

 sending up tufts of leaves, which are sometimes barren, and some- 

 times bear erect scapes. 



The pseudobulb is naturally best developed in the epiphytic 

 species, and is sometimes of considerable size. It is, however, 

 somewhat variable even in the same species ; thus in typical 

 i, spathulata it is conical, about 2 inches in length ; but I have 

 seen plants, differing iu no other respect from the typical plant, 



with short, almost oval pseudobulbs, and again in the true 

 L. longipes^ Lindl., of which X. spatliulata is but a variety, the 

 pseudobulb is drawn out sometimes to a length of nearly 6 inches. 

 It is to be remembered also that, after flowering, the pseudobulb 

 not unfrequently lengthens and alters its form somewhat. In 

 many terrestrial species besides those mentioned above, there is no 

 true pseudobulb, the stem being elongate and narrow, covered 

 with leaf-sheaths, often loose, white, and membranous (Z, punc- 

 ticitlata^ Eidl., Z. atropurpiirea^ LindL, etc.). 



Leaves, — The leaves vary to some extent, and afford good 



characters for breaking up the genus. In the greater number of 

 the truly epiphytic species they are hard and thick in texture, 

 and lanceolate or lanceolate spathulate in outline. They have no 

 distinct petiole, and break off abruptly when dead. These are the 

 characteristics of the section Cobtifolij;, which is quite confined 

 to the tropics of the Old World, excluding Africa. The remaining 

 species have thin leaves, with an outline varying from lanceolate 

 to ovate, or rarely orbicular, often petiolate, and spreading. Many 

 have crisped or waved margins to the leaves, and not unfrequently 



x2 



