186 BURMA, ITS PEOPLE ASD PRODUCTIOyS. 



flower, tlic flowers of all tlirce were very different from each other. I received 

 cuttings from Calcutta, being determined to experiment on Yanilla-pod growing. 

 There was no difficulty in getting pods, for all my three species flowered proluscly ; 

 the difliculty was to ripen and dry them, in which I signally failed. The pods, after 

 growing to their full size, invariably fell off while yet green, and my attempts to dry 

 them never got beyond producing black, leathery, soft, slug-like things with a smell of 

 prunes, and the faintest possible taste of " Vanille." I am speaking here of the 

 true species, or what was sent to me as the true species, which is supposed to produce 

 the "Vanille" of commerce, Vanilla j)lanifoli<i. The pods of this species succeeded 

 with mo no better than the others. I do not know why they so persistently fell 

 off, as ray plants were in the most robust health ; hut, so it was, that the ground 

 was strewed with them eveiy morning, which so disgusted me that at last I gave up 

 paying any attention to them ; when, of course, they flowered no more. To explain 

 the reason of this, I may here say that, in the Vanilla flower, there is found between 

 the anther and the stigmatic surface a projecting membranous flap which etfectually 

 prevents the pollen-masses from reaching that surface unless they are assisted thither 

 by external aid. It was, therefore, necessary for me to go round every morning and 

 impregnate all my flowers mechanically — evenj morning, for they only last one clay — 

 and the procees was this : with a small pair of suitable pincers, thin but blunt and 

 broad at the points, I seized the intervening flap described above, and tore it away, 

 taking care not to tlisturb the pollen-masses. This done, I pressed the anther with 

 the point of the pincers, so as to force the pollen-masses down upon the stigmatic 

 surface. I soon got quite expert at this operation, so as to do several flowers in 

 a minute, and 1 do not think that I ever failed in my object, riz. successfully impreg- 

 nating the flowers. In nature, this result is said, or supjiosed, to be brought about 

 by the agency of some insect. I am not aware if the insect be known to scientific 

 men. Certainly, no insect was ever obliging enough to perform the operation for 

 me, and indeed, I am at a loss to understand how any but a very strong insect, and 

 the same acting of deliberate purpose, can perform it, so tough is the flap that has 

 to be removed, and so closely does it cover the stigmatic surface. 



PoGO>fi.4, Juss. 



A small genus of terrestrial Orchids with round tubers, 1 to lA- inch in diameter, 

 which have short rigid papilte (roots ?) projecting from their surface at all points. 

 The flowers are borne either singly or in loose drooping racemes on a leafless scape, 

 which springs from the centre of the bulb, and is a few inches high, and has several 

 sheathing scales. After this flowering scape, and when tlie flowers are faded, a 

 solitarj- leaf appears, which takes its rise either at the base of the flowering scape 

 and close to it, or a little way up, and also has sheathing scales at its base. The 

 flowers, which vary from 1 to 2 inches in length, and are generally drooping, have 

 long lanceolar, nearly equal, sepals and petals, which are free, but connivent (rarely 

 ex])anded). Tlie lip is long, undivided, or slightly 3-lobed, pai-allel with the column, 

 and convolute round it, occasionally with a very short blunt spur. The column is 

 also rather long and somewhat club-shaped, and terminated by a lid-like anther. 

 The pollen-masses are 4, granular, long and tapering, without a gland. The leaves 

 are large, rounded and heart-shaped, many-nerved and plicate, or fan-like. In one 

 species they are smooth and green ; in a second clothed with tawny hairs ; in a 

 third copper coloured ; and in a fourth dark green, with a purple-black spot between 

 every nerve. The flowers also vary much in colour, being green, or of different 

 shades of white, pink, or purple. The germ is very short : I have never seen the 

 fruit. They are propagated (as Roxburgh correctly says) by suckers from the 

 petiole (leaf-.stalk) just below the ground. The flowers come up in the rainy season, 

 the leaves offer the rains ; consequently it is not easy to secure them. The best 

 way is to dig up the roots and plant them in the garden. I have found 5 species, 

 one very pretty, with a 2-flowered scape and flowers which have a rose-coloured lip, 

 green at the base, t^epals and petals also pink and expanded. I have not seen the 

 leaves, and have only a drawing of it. I have named it provisionally P. puhhella ; 

 it is niv No. .322. 



