351 



position taken by the Howcr is strictly horizontal. The raceme is 

 directed dowiiwarcls. hut just upciirved at the tip. The flowers 

 oj)en ill aeropetal succession. The large nectarial cavity with a 

 yellow nectary in the u])per wall near the l)ase contains ai)undance 

 of honey ; approach to it is guarded by the lip closing the entrance 

 and by ])apilla-like hairs arising in it. lesser hairs cover the 

 forward surface of the lip alfordiug a foothold for visiting insects. 

 The distribution of colour in the flower is best understood from 

 the figure. A visiting insect seeking honey is kept in the middle 

 line of the flower by the side lobes of the Wp, which like crooked 

 little fingers, approach the arms of the column. 



y lie cost rJe iiuinihisft has been collected from various ])laces 

 between Kechdi and ^lalacca and on the coast of Pahang. 



Hakm.mua discolor, Lixdl. 



IJdciituria disculor and its variety Ordiaiia, Williams, have 

 flowered very abundantly in the Botanic (hardens recently, 

 and the curious distortion ohservable in the column and lip has 

 been studied. Kach inflorescence carried 10-15 flowers so that con- 

 siderable number liave been availalfle for examination. Invariably 

 was the distortion in tlie one direction as represented in the figure. 





st 



<f' 



1. Flower of Haemaria discolor form in front x '^^ 2. from the side; 

 3. in section, n being the honey sac. 4. the lip ; 5. the poUinia. 



The hood (composed of one sepal and two jjetals fused) rises 

 obliquely over the sexual organs ; the lateral sepals are half re- 

 flexed as figure 2 shows : they are not distorted. But the column 

 is twisted in the direction of the movement of the hands of a clock 

 through about 50 degrees, bringing the stigma to such a position 

 that it is exposed towards the side of the flower (figure 2). The 

 lip from a little median honey sac is bent out of the median line 

 towards the opposite side of the flower to tlie stigma, and towards 

 the base its edges ])artially make a tube : it does not make a landing 



