Tas. 7329. 
ERIA Metrax. 
Native of the Himalaya Mts. and Burma. 
4 
Nat. Ord. Oncuipra.—Tribe Errpenprea,. 
Genus Erta, Lindl.; (Benth. & Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. iii. p. 509.) 
Erta (Porpax) Meirax; pumila, pseudobulbis aggregatis depresso-globosis 
fere disciformibus brunneis vaginis pellucidis reticulatis arcte appressis 
tunicatis, foliis binis parvis ad basin pseudobulbi post flores enatis 
oblongis oblongo-lanceolatisve coriaceis medio sulcatis, floribus apicibus 
pseudobulborum solitaris brevissime pedicellatis decurvis, bracteis oblongis 
aristato-acuminatis, sepalis in tubum incurvumbasi gibbosum glaberrimum 
3-lobum confluentibus, lobis equalibus, petalis late ovatis acutis, petalis 
tubo calycino inclusis oblongo-spathulatis acutis, labello stipitato, lamina 
orbiculari apice contracto obtuso, columna brevissima. 
E. Meirax, N. E. Brown in Gard. Chron. (1880), vol. ii. p. 608. Hook. f. Fl. 
Brit. Ind, vol. vi. p. 786. 
E. Elwesii, Reichb. f. in Gard. Chron. (1888), vol. i. p. 402. 
Cryptochilus Meirax, Reichb. f. in Trans. Linn, Soc. vol. xxx. p. 148. 
A very singular little orchid, discovered by the Rev. 
Mr. Parish ‘in the Moulmein Hills, Tenasserim, and sub- 
sequently found in the Sikkim Himalaya by Mr. Elwes. 
It belongs to a very small section of Hria, of which Lindley 
constituted a genus, calling it Porpaz (from a Greek word 
signifying the handle of a shield, the application of which 
is not obvious), and.of which there are now five known 
Indian species, distinguished by their small size, depressed 
2-leaved pseudobulbs clothed with reticulate sheaths, small 
sessile leaves, one or few flowers situated on the top of 
the pseudobulb, and very short column. Reichenbach re- 
ferred H. Meirax and two others of the group to Wallich’s 
genus Cryptochilus, to which, indeed, in the structure of the 
: pa and perianth they bear a very strong resemblance. 
Wight gave to one Malabar species the generic name of 
_ Aggeianthus, from the resemblance of the perianth to a vase ; 
and to another Lichenora, from the depressed flat pseudo- 
bulbs, recalling a Lichen in appearance. 
Drcemaer Isr, 1898. 
