Tas. 7478. 
HABENARIA Etvwest1. 
Native of the Nilghiri Hills. 
Nat. Ord. OxrcH1IpE#.—Tribe OpHRYDER. 
Genus Hapenaria, Willd.; (Benth. & Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. iii. p. 625.) 
Hazenaria (Ate) Elwesii; lete virescens, tuberibus oblongis, caule folioso, 
foliis erectis ovato- v. elliptico-lanceolatis acuminatis, vaginis teretibus, 
racemo laxifloro, bracteis floribus squilongis lanceolatis acuminatis 
scaphiformibus marcescentibus, floribus 2-poll. longis flavo-viridibus, 
sepalis ovato-lanceolatis acuminatis lateralibus deflexis, petalis e basi 
lata profunde in lacinias elongato-subulatas divaricatas falcatas sepalis 
longioribus pilosas sectis, labelli glaberrimi limbo lineari in segmenta 3 
elongata filiformia limbo multoties longiora fisso, caleare gracili pedicello 
zequilongo ore lingula calcariformi recurva instructo, columna lata obtusa, 
staminodiis erectis clavatis apice glandnlosis, antheris divergentibus 
tubulis brevibus clinandrio adnatis, rostello late deplanato, processubus 
stigmaticis corniformibus divaricatis. 
Habenaria Elwesii, though horticulturally devoid of 
beauty, is a very interesting plant botanically, as being 
the first that has been cultivated in this country of a 
curious Indian group of that immense genus, which I have 
characterized as Ate, in which the petals are bifurcate. 
The type of the group is H. barbata, Wight, upon which 
Lindley founded the genus Ate, taking for its character 
the presence of a recurved process on the lip at the mouth 
of the spur, on the side opposite the column, and which is 
seen in fig. 2 of the accompanying plate. This process 1s 
present or absent in very closely allied species, all having 
divided petals, and I therefore, in the “ Flora of British 
India,” took the latter character as that of the group Ate, 
bringing under it fourteen plants of obvious near affinity. 
The function of the above-mentioned process of the lip is to 
guide the proboscis of an insect into the spur, whilst it 
brings its head or part of its body into contact with the 
glands of the pollinia, and thus removes these. This was 
first pointed out by Roland Trimen,* who was induced by 
* Journ. Linn, Soe, vol. ix. (1867) p. 156, t. 1. 
June Ist, 1896. 
