Tab. 7601. 

 orchis monophylla. 



Native of the Shan hills of Burma. 



Nat. Ord. Ouchide/E. — Tribe Ophbyde/E. 

 Genus Okcuis, Linn ; (Benth. & Hook.f. Oen. Plant, vol. iii. p. 620.) 



Orchis monophylla ; caule infra folia brevi robusto, foliis 1 v. 2 sub-radicalibus 

 oblongis ovato-oblongisve subacutis basi vaginantibus carnosulis luride 

 viridibus rnaculis rubro-purpureia creberrime aspersia, pedunculo vagiuia 

 bracteisque viridibus punctis purpureis elongatia striatis, vaginis paucia 

 lanceolatis erectis, racemo 2^-pollicari laxe-multinoro puberulo, bracteia 

 lanceolatis ovario sequilongis brevioribusve, sepalis conniventibus parvis 

 viridibus, dorsali £ poll, longo oblongo obtuso, lateralibus majoribua late 

 ovatis obtusis, petalis obovato-oblongis incurvis convolutis roaeis, labello 

 latiore quam longo sepalis duplo longiore 3-lobo pallide roseo lobis sub- 

 sequilongis lateralibus patulis truncatis crenulatis immaculatis, inter- 

 niedio quadrato discoque labelli pustulis roseis asperso, calcare ovario 

 breviore obtuso incurvo, staminodiis magnis, polliniorum glandulis 

 sacculis distinctis absconditis. 



Habenakia monophylla, Collett Sf Hemsl. in Joiirn. Linn. Soc. vol. xxviii. 

 (1890), p. 134. Hook.f. Fl. Brit. Ind. vol. vi. p. 143. 



In the coloration of foliage Orchis monophylla is a 

 very striking object, and resembles no other Orchis 

 known to me, though recalling in some degree Hemipilia 

 calophylla, Par. & Reiclib. f., figured at t. 6920 of this 

 work. In the latter plant, however, the spotting is dark 

 brown. 



Orchis monophylla was first described from a single, very 

 poor specimen brought by Col. Sir H. Collett, K.C.B., 

 F.L.S., from the Shan hills in Upper Burma, at an elevation 

 of 4000 ft. Needless to say, it showed no other coloration 

 than the uniform brown of a herbarium specimen. It was 

 referred by its authors to JIabcnaria, in which genus I re- 

 tained it in the " Flora of British India," pointing out its 

 affinity with H. Orchidis. An examination of living 

 specimens has enabled Mr. Rolfe to detect two membranous 

 pouches covering the glands of the pollinia, as in typical 

 Orchis ; and Messrs. King and Pantling in their invaluable 

 Orchids of Sikkim ("Ann. Bot. Gard.," Calcutt., vol. viii. 

 p. 302) have transferred Habenaria Orchidis also to Orchis 

 (as O. habenarioides). In the above view of 0. monophylla 

 I entirely concur, as also in the remark of the latter 

 authors, that the pink or purple colouring of the flower, 



June 1st, 1898. 



