586 



THE ORCHIDS OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY 



BY 



G. A. Gammie, f.l.s. 

 Part VI. (With Plates V. and VI., 

 (Continued f ram page 91 of this Volume.) 



13. CYMBIDIUM. 



A densely tufted epiphyte. Roots numerous. Leaves long, thick, 

 strap-shaped, equitant at base. Racemes long, pendulous, loosely 

 sheathed. Flowers moderately large. Sepals uniform linear, petals 

 similar in shape to but smaller than the sepals, lip o-lobed, sessile, 

 midlobe recurved. Column rather long, anther imperfectly 2-celled, 

 pollinia in two coalescing pairs, sessile on the broad gland. 



1. Cymbidium aloifolium, Sw. Fl„ Br. Ind. VI., p. 10 ; 

 Cooke, Fl. of Bombay II, p. 696 ; Dalz. & Gibs. p. 266 , C. 

 bicolor^ Lindl. 



Leaves rather stiff, about 1 foot to 18 inches long by 1 inch broad, 

 racemes pendulous, up to 18 inches long ; flowers many, loosely 

 arranged, 2^ inches in diameter ; sepals linear oblong, subacute, 

 \\ inch by \ inch, purplish brown on the centre longitudinally, 

 with dull yellow margins ; petals § inch long, coloured as in sepals 

 and a little broader ; lip f inch long, narrow, side lobes pointing for- 

 ward, purplish brown above, yellowish brown beneath ; disk yellow, 

 midlobe oblong, recurved, bright yellow, with two irregular, pur- 

 plish brown ridges which coalesce at apex ; column purplish brown. 



Flowers appear from May to July. 



Common on trees on the North Kanara and Belgaum Ghats and conspicuous 

 throughout the year by reason of its bulk. 



Dalzell and Gibson record it from Salsette, but its occurrence so far north in 

 the Konkan is doubtful. 



Dr. Cooke says that in this species the petals are as long as the sepals. I find 

 them invariably shorter by half an inch. It is therefore possible that more 

 than one variety exists. 



Distribution. — Northern and Western India in heavy rainfall tracts. 



Andamans, Ceylon and Malaya. 



