December 12, 1912] Orchid. Novae et Criticae Ins. Philippinarum 1575 



EPIA Lindl. 



Eria davaensis sp. nov. 



Herba epiphytica, habitu E. longibracteatae Leav. Caules 

 foliosi, plus minus 4 dm. alti, internodii circiter 5 mm. longi. 

 Folia linearia, coriacea, longe attenuata, acutissima, 9 — 15 cm. 

 longa, 8 — 10 mm. lata, vaginae cylindraceae vel subcomplanatae. 

 Racemi 3 — 5, ad summum caulium orti, graciles, purpurei, plus 

 minus 2 dm. longi, rhachidi pubescente. Bracteae inflorescentiae, 

 retrofiexae lineares, acuminatac, acutac, inferne circiter 1 cm. 

 longae. Pedicellus cum ovario circiter 2 cm. longus. Ovarium 

 lanugine albida dense vestitum. Sepala extus pubescentia; 

 lateralia 5 mm. longa, late ovata, asymmetrica, obtusa, dorsale 

 cucullatum, circiter 5 mm. longum. Petala spathulata, vel oblan- 

 ceolata, obtusa, 3-nervia, 4.5 mm. longa. Labellum rotundatum, 

 trilobatum, 4.5 mm. longum, 6 mm. latum, vix unguiculatum, 

 lobi iaterales 2 mm. longi, lanceolati, asymmetrici, obtusi, sub- 

 faleati. Lobus medius perlate reniformis, retusus, apiculatus, 

 2 mm. longus, 5.5 — 6 mm. latus. Calli 6, ad basim labelli 3 

 tubercula quorum medium longius; prope apicem labelli tuber- 

 culum permagnum, farinosum, in disco prope sinum, utrinque 

 callus carinatus. Columna minuta. 



Eria davaensis appears to be conspecific with specimens 

 referred by Leavitt to E. major Ridl. I have examined Leavitt's 

 material and made a careful study of flowers dissected by him 

 and preserved in glycerine {Mearns and Hutchinson 4594) . The 

 flowers on which he based his conclusions agree in detail with 

 flowers from E. davaensis. It is true that the flowers of the 

 species of this section exhibit a wide range of variation, but it is, 

 from my observations, improbable that the Philippine material 

 now under consideration ever approaches E. major so closely as 

 to be confounded with it. 



Mindanao: District of Davao, Todaya (Mt. Apo), August, 

 1909, A. D. E. Elmer, 11321. 



Found in dense clumps upon the limbs of lofty trees in humid 

 forests at 4000 feet above sea level. Stems rigid, hard, green, 

 ascending, slightly flattened; leaves ascending, slightly recurved, 

 lucid green above, duller green beneath, rigid and thick; inflores- 



