Tab. 6920. 



HEMIPILIA CALOPHYLLA. 



Native of Tenasserim. 



Nat. Ord. OscniDEiE. — Tribe Ophryde;e. 

 Genus Hemipilia, Lindl. ; (Benin, et Hook.f. Gen. PL vol. iii. p. 628.) 



Hemipilia calophylla ; folio sessili recurve- elliptico-oblongo v. rotundato acufco v. 

 acuminato brunneo marmorato, scapo gracili uni-vaginato, racemo ereeto 

 paucifloro, floribus remotis breviter pedicellatis, bracteis triangulari-ovatis 

 lanceolatisve ovario brevioribus, sepalis triangulari-ovatis obtusis albis medio 

 pallide viridibus, petalis sepalis dimidio minoribus, labello purpureo oblongo- 

 quadrato v. subobcordato undulato utrinque unilobato apice emarginato v. 

 bifido, calcave brevi obtuso, rostello elongato uncinato adscendente, stigmatis 

 cruribus brevibus. 



H. calophylla, Parish and Reichb.f. in Lond. Journ. Bot. vol. xii. (1874) p. 197 ; 

 fteichb.f. in Otia Bot. Hamburg, p. 38. 



Hemipilia is a very curious little Indian genus, of which 

 only two species have hitherto been discovered, that here 

 figured, and the type, H. cordifolia, Lindl., which was found 

 in Nepal by Wallich upwards of half a century ago, and has 

 since been collected in the North -Western Himalaya by 

 Falconer, Strachey and "Wmterbottom, and others, at an 

 elevation of 7000 feet ; it differs from H. calophylla in the 

 subcordate base of the leaf, stout scape, more numerous 

 and more crowded flowers, with a longer spur and smaller 

 lip. The genus is closely allied to Hahenaria, differing 

 however a good deal in habit, and remarkably in the long 

 upcurved rostellum. 



H. calophylla is a native of Moulmein, in Tenasserim, 

 where it was discovered by Mr. Gilbert, whose specimens 

 were, however, too imperfect for determination and 

 description. The indefatigable Rev. C. Parish rediscovered 

 it in August, 1873, growing in limestone rocks, and for- 

 warded specimens and a drawing to Kew, which enabled 

 Prof. Reichenbach to refer it generically to the previously 

 monotypic Hemipilia, and to describe it with completeness. 

 Probably other species of the genus occur in the Eastern 

 Himalaya, for such plants, with lurid leaves and flowers, 



eeb. 1st, 1887. 



