498 ORCHIDES. 



SARCOCHILDS. 



Root consists of nnnierous bundlcs of fleshy , long, glaucous , simple flbres. Of 

 leaves no trace. Racemes numerous, arising from the crown of ihe root, i. c. from 

 the centre of ihe radical fibres , 6 — 8" long, downy. Pednncle brownish , taper, 

 slender, an inch long; furnished with a few alternate membranous bracts , which 

 are ovate, amplexicaule, acute, deciduous', and densely clotheil wilh horbaceous sofl 

 semitransparent hairs ; finully passing into a flexuose rachis . which becomes clavaie 

 when old. Flowers slalked , alterne, ihe sizc and colour of Lily of the Valley , bul 

 scenlless, drooping, placed on stalks '/2" long, very slendcr, wiih a broad , ovate, sub- 

 cordate and transparent acute deciduous bract at ihe base. Scgmenls of ihe llower 

 oblong, obluse, spreading, the peials broadtir ihan the olhers and with the laieral 

 sepals adhering by tbeir whole base to a long foot, which quits ihe base of ihe co- 

 lumn almost at a right angle. Labellum standing 01 the back of the flower, gibbous 

 at tlie base and slighlly saccate , very small , allached to the extreme point of ihe 

 foot of the column , slightly linged with pink, beerded inside, ihreelobed at ihe apex ; 

 ihe lateral lobes linear , parallel, obtuse, ihat in the middle toolhed and minute , or 

 rather wanting, its place being suppiied by two little revoiute teeth. Column very 

 shori. Anther terminal , deciduous, ovate, twocelled. Pollenmasses 2. round 

 2 lobed at ihe baek , waxy , smooth. Capsule 2 inches long, soraewhai cylindrical, 

 pink, curved. 



Ob$. The 4 lateral leaves of the perianth being inserted at the sides of ihe much 

 elongated ascending base of tbe column , almost so that ihe sepals which are nearest 

 the labellura cover very liitle of the margins of ihe petais , which occupy ihe middle 

 of tlie column, raay bc said to be placed all in one line. The very base of the co- 

 lumn is terminated by ihe labellura there only inserted. 



Wighl Ic. V. (1851.) K. 1741 : 



Malabar. Tree branches. April. Low herbaceous . hairy . leafless epiphyle, 

 roots flattened, green as if to supply the absence of leaves by perforraing their 

 funciions. Spikes erect, flowers whitish or somewhai creani coloured. Lip curious. 

 Lindley's species? Larger flgure of the plate taken from dried speclmens collecied 

 by miself, smaller from a drawing of Mrs. Jerdon, taken from a living piant, gaihered 

 J think in Wynoud and on the Norih W. slopes of the Keilgherries, 



II. Foliosi. 

 A. Pedunculus bracteis ancipilibus bipeclinatus. 



2. SARCOCHILUS ARACHNITES Rchb. fll. Mss. Dendrocolla arachnitcs Bl. Bijdr. 28T. 

 Jerides arachniles L. 0. 238. 



3. SARCOCillLUS PURPURASCt:NS Rchb. fll. Mss. Dendrocolla purpurascens Bl. Bjd. 

 288. Acrides purpurascens L. 0. 240. 



4. SARCOCIIILUS ACUMLNATISSIMUS Rchb. UI. Mss, Dcndrocolla acnminatissima 

 L. 0. 240 : 



5. SARCUCHILUS AURIFER Rchb. fll. Mss. Dcndrobium auriferum L. 0. 33. Lindl. 

 B. Rcg. XXX (1844). Misc. 62. p. 59. ; 



Stem slender, ibrowing out very long rooia froni its sides. Leavcs oblong ianceo- 

 late. Flowers about an inch long, bright ycllow, arising froui shorl broad imbricaied 

 bracls , which are inuch longer than the spaces belween ihem. Known only Ironi a 

 drawing in ihe possession of the Horlic. Socieiy. 



6. SARCOCHILUS SERRAEFORMIS Rchb. fll. Mss. Liparis scrracformis Lindi. in Wall. 

 Cat. no. 19^6. — L. 0. 33. 



7. SARCOCIIILUS COMPRESSUS Rchb. fll. Mss. Dendrocolla comprrssu RI. liijd. 289. 

 Airides comprcssum L. 0. 240. De Vriese Illustr. l. i. f. 5. 



