29 



ERIA bractescens. 

 Long-bracted JEria. 



GYNANDRIA MONANDRIA. 

 Nat. ord. Orchidace^. § Malaxed. 

 ERIA. Botanical Register, vol. 1 1 . fol. 904 . 



§ Tonsse ; floribus calvis v. parum pubescentibus. 

 bractescens (Lindl. in Bot. Reg. 1841. misc. 46.) ; pseudobulbis brevibus 

 oblongis apice subdiphyllis, foliis oblongis undulatis basi angustatis 

 racemis subsequalibus, bracteis membranaceis coloratis margine revolutis 

 Buperioribus linearibus reflexis, racemis erectis, labeUi trilobi lamellis 

 duabus abbreviatis intermedia producta lobo medio truncato rugoso 

 obtus^ apiculato. 



Among the extensive genus Eria we find a few species 

 particularly distinguished by their short fleshy stems, and the 

 membranous coloured bracts which accompany their hairless 

 flowers. Of these the best known are the present species, 

 longilabris, obesa, and a Philippine plant that may be called 

 ovafa. They are natives of the hotter parts of India, and 

 iare so much alike that an incautious observer might almost 

 regard them as varieties. They are, however, most truly 

 distinct, as the following definitions of them will shew. 



1. E. bractescens. 



Mr. Cuming found this at Sincapore, and Mr. GriflSth in 

 Burma, near Moulmain. It has a fleshy oblong stem, which 

 bears at the summit tw^o or three leaves, from one and a half 

 to two inches broad, and gradually tapering to the base. Its 

 flowers are in the Sincapore plant greenish white, with a lip 

 crimson except at the end ; in the Burma plant they are more 

 straw colour than green. The lip is three-lobed, has an 

 abruptly truncated extremity, and is marked with three 

 elevated ridges, of which the two side ones are very short, 

 while the middle one reaches to the end of the lip. Fig. 1. 

 shews this structure, and fig. 2. the pollen-masses. 



2. E. longilabris (Lindl. in Bot. Reg. 1841. misc. 69.) ; Eriae 



bractescentis facie sed sepalis petalisque magis acumi- 

 natis, labelli trilobi lamellis tribus ad apicem fere pro- 



