29 
ERIA bractescens. 
Long-bracted Eria. 
GYNANDRIA MONANDRIA. 
Nat. ord. Orncuipacex. $ MarAxEx. 
ERIA. Botanical Register, vol. 11. fol. 904. 
$ Tonsz ; floribus calvis v. parum pubescentibus. 
E. bractescens (Lindl. in Bot. Reg. 1841. misc. 46.) ; pseudobulbis brevibus 
oblongis apice subdiphyllis, foliis oblongis undulatis basi angustatis 
racemis subzequalibus, bracteis membranaceis coloratis margine revolutis 
superioribus linearibus reflexis, racemis erectis, labelli trilobi lamellis 
duabus abbreviatis intermediá productá lobo medio truncato rugoso 
obtusé apiculato. 
Among the extensive genus Eria we find a few species 
particularly distinguished by their short fleshy stems, and the 
membranous coloured bracts which accompany their hairless 
flowers. Of these the best known are the present species, 
longilabris, obesa, and a Philippine plant that may be called 
ovata. They are natives of the hotter parts of India, and 
are so much alike that an incautious observer might almost 
regard them as varieties. They are, however, most truly 
distinct, as the following definitions of them will shew. 
l. E. bractescens. i 
Mr. Cuming found this at Sincapore, and Mr. Griffith in 
Burma, near Moulmain. It has a fleshy oblong stem, which 
bears at the summit two or three leaves, from one and a half 
to two inches broad, and gradually tapering to the base. Its 
flowers are in the Sincapore plant greenish white, with a lip 
crimson except at the end ; in the Burma plant they are more 
straw colour than green. The lip is three-lobed, hes. an 
abruptly truncated extremity, and As marked with z e 
elevated ridges, of which the two side ones are very short, 
while the middle one reaches to the end of the lip. Fig. 1. 
shews this structure, and fig. 2. the pollen-masses. 
2. E. longilabris (Lindl. in Bot. Reg. 1841. misc. 69.) ; Erie 
bractescentis facie sed sepalis petalisque magis acumi- 
natis, labelli trilobi lamellis tribus ad apicem feré pro- 
