N 



Belgaum,Law. 



I am indebted to Mr. Law for my only specimen 

 of this very distinct species. It comes near H. 

 digitaia from which however it seems quite distinct, 

 especially as regards the petals. The 3 centre nerves 

 of the leaves are much more conspicuous than shown 

 in the plate, while the exterior pair, being thin, are 

 much less so. 



1702. Habenaria PERisTTiiOiDBs (R. W.), leavcs 

 few, 4-6, linear ovate, acuminate, congested near the 

 base, scape clothed with a few ovate acuminate 

 scales: racemes compact, short: bracts ovate, acute, 

 about half the length of the ovary : posterior sepal 

 ovate, obtuse, broader than the lanceolate ascending 

 lateral ones : petals obtuse, shorter and broader than 

 the lateral sepals: lip three-lobed, lateral lobes fili- 

 form, divaricated; middle one shorter, fleshy, ovate, 

 pointed: spurclavate, about the length of the some- 

 what rostrate ovary. Tlowers white, capsule oval, 



Pulney Mountains, September. 



The peculiar character of the lip, so completely 

 that of Peristyles^ at first led to the belief of this 

 plant belonging to that genus, and has furnished the 

 specific name. 



1703-4. Habenaria Heyneana (Lind., H. Per- 

 rotletiana? Richd.). Under No, 923 of this work 

 I have transcribed Dr. Lindley's character of this 

 species. The plant there represented did not quite 

 accord with the character, but did so in so many 

 points, as left no doubt on my mind of its being that 

 species, it may perhaps be K Perroltetiana, Richard. 

 On going over my Herbarium, selecting materials 

 for this work, I found numerous specimens, all more 

 or less agreeing with the character, but none, unless 

 perhaps E. of the accompanying plate, that seemed 

 actually to correspond with the character, while at 

 the same time none, except A. was deemed suffi- 

 ciently distinct to admit of its being distinguished 

 as a species. Under the impression that it was 

 so, a specific name was assigned to that plant, 

 but on comparing several specimens with the other 

 forms, I soon found it difficult to draw distinctions 

 sufficiently permanent to admit of their being con- 

 sidered of specific value. The size and form of 

 the leaves varied more or less in every specimen, 

 while the secund raceme, large cucuUate ventricose 

 acuminate bracts, more or less deeply 3-parted lip, 

 with the curved lateral lobes and the nearly equal 

 sepals and petals were present in all. Under these 

 circumstances I could scarcely fail arriving at the 

 conclusion that all the varying forms were referable 

 to but one species ; and that I have endeavoured 

 satisfactorily to illustrate by selecting 4 of the most 

 prominent forms and placing them side by side, in 

 one plate. Should other Botanists think that I have 

 erred in taking this view it affords materials for the 

 correction of my error. 



1705. Habenaria veridiflora (R. Brown), 



radical leaves numerous, narrow, acute, recurved : 

 raceme loose, many-flowered : bracts subulate, the 

 length of the pedicels: sepals ovate: petals similar, 

 smaller: lip 3-parted, a little longer than the sepals, 

 lateral lobes horizontal, filiform, middle one longer: 

 spur filiform, pendulous, the length of the ovary. 



The station of this plant is not marked. The 

 drawing was taken from a specimen named by 

 Dr. Lindley. ^ 



1706. Habenaria elliptica (R. W.), radical 

 leaves elliptico-lanceolate, acute, attenuated at the 

 base, those above bract-like, smaller, sub-cucuUate, 

 acuminate: bracts ovate, lanceolate, acuminate, 

 acute, about the length of the ovary: raceme loose, 

 many-flowered; flowers sub-pubescent within: se- 

 pals ovate, anterior ones reflexed, larger than the 

 posterior one and petals: petals broad ovate, obtuse, 

 about the length of the anterior sepals, lip 3-cleft, 



lobes equal: spur filiform, pendulous, the length of 

 the ovary, 



Pulney Mountains, in pastures, flowering Septem- 

 ber. The plant attains the height of from 12 to 15 

 inches, flowers greenish-white. 



1707. Habenaria affinis 



W.), radical 



leaves elliptico-lanceolate, pointed, tapering below 

 into a short sheathing petiol, slightly undulated ; 

 stem clothed with numerous ovate much acuminat- 

 ed foliaceous scales : raceme many-flowered, loose : 

 bracts shorter than the ovary, acute: sepals and 

 petals about equal; posterior sepal galiate, anterior 

 ones reflexed : lip 3-cleft, longer than the sepals ; 

 lateral lobes subulate, middle one narrow lanceolate : 

 spur incurved or even hooked at the point, filiform, 

 a little more than half the length of the ovary. 



There is no station attached to this specimen, but 

 it is my impression that I obtained it from Mr. Law 

 from Belgaum. In the magnified figures the artist 

 has sadly missed the proportions as regards length 

 between the spur and ovary. The plant seems very 

 nearly allied to H. elliptica, with reference to which 

 I have given the specific name affinis. 



1708. Habenaria ovalifolia (R. W.), radical 

 leaves sheathing at the base, oval, acute above, 

 attenuated below into a short petiol: stem clothed 

 with a few distant scales : racemes lax, many-flower- 

 ed : bracts ovate, acute, shorter than the ovary: 

 sepals and petals about equal, posterior sepal and 

 petals galiate, anterior one reflexed, deeply 3-cleft, 

 lobes lanceolate, lateral ones reflexed, pendulous, 

 middle one ascending-, erect: spur filiform about 

 the length of the slender ovary. Flowers a dull 

 pale pea green. 



Malabar and Anamally Hills, flowering July and 



August. 



This plant is uniform in form but variable in size ; 

 plants from one to four feet may be met with in a 

 smgle clump of specimens, for it is often found gre- 

 gariously disposed. It seems very distinct fi:om all 

 those described by Lindley. 



-1709. Habenaria plattphtlla (Spreng.), radi- 

 cal leaves orbicular, acute, horizontal: spike dense, 

 many-flowered : bracts setacio-acuminate, half the 

 length of the ovary: lip 3-toothed, middle one linear 

 acute, lateral ones short, toothless : sepals equal: 

 spur filiform, very long, thickened at the point. 



Neilgherries, lyamallay, and elsewhere, flowering 

 from July to September. Flowers white. 



1710. Habenaria plantaginea (Lind.), radical 

 leaves oblong, or oblong lanceolate, acute or obtuse, 

 spike lax, secund: bracts membranaceous, acute, 

 half the length of the ovary: lip three-cleft round- 

 ish, middle lobe linear, acute, the lateral ones broad, 

 denticulate, about equal : sepals about equal, ascend- 

 ing: spur filiform, pendulous, longer than the beaked 

 ovary. Flowers white, spur green* 



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