248 ME. H. N. etblet's mokogeaph 



ttey are coloured or tinted with purple (i. Saundersiana, &c.). 

 As a rule, there are two or three leaves to each pseudobulb, more 

 rarely one or more than three. 



The Scape rises from the apex of the pseudobulb. It is usually 

 in the CoEiiFOiiiJE angled and winged, sometimes flattened. The 

 base is, as a rule, nude except for a few scattered empty bracts, 

 the lowest of which is not unfrequently, especially in the Oo- 

 RiiroLT^, foliaceous. The inflorescence is a lax raceme, often 

 few-flowered; but in the L-longipes group the flowers are 

 numerous and densely crowded. The most striking form is that of 

 the section DisxiCHiE, where the raceme is shortened and flexuous, 

 and the bracts are arranged in a distichous manner, like those of 

 a Dendrocolla. 



The bracts are lanceolate and green, more rarely ovate-lanceo- 

 late, usually shorter than the pedicellate ovary, and sometimes, 

 but seldom, reflexed after flowering. 



The Flower, — In the majority of species the flowers are rather 

 small and few in number. The largest are those of L, grandi- 

 floruy EidL, the smallest those of L. longipes^ Lindl., and its allies, 

 in which they are not only minute but very numerous. The 

 texture is usually thin, especially in the Distich-E ; but in Z. elata 

 and many allied species the flowers, and more particularly the lip, 

 are somewhat fleshy. The colour is most commonly yellowish 

 green, but it varies from whitish to yellow {L.Jiavescens^ &c.) and 

 purple (i. Saundersiana). The sepals are usually narrow and lan- 

 ceolate, the two lateral ones being frequently falcate and placed 



under the lip. 



sually 



upper one, and are sometimes connate to a greater or less degree. 

 This is not infrequent as an accident, and occurs normally in 

 L. dis€pala,'Reic\ih* L When the upper sepal is dissimilar to the 

 others, it usually resembles the petals, which are invariably linear 

 and narrow. The petals and sepals are constantly spreading 

 or reflexed j but in i. viridiflora^ Lindl., the flower seems never 

 to open entirely. The lip is most commonly entire, more rarely 

 distinctly 2- or 3-lobed. The base is usually narrowed, with the 



c? 



form 



the centre. The claw stands parallel to the face of the column, 

 the lamina being bent abruptly downwards. In this case there 



ally two (rarely a single) 



veins 



and all stages of the development of these protuberances are to 



