terete, 2-3 mm. in diameter, leafy above, concealed by 
closely appressed leaf-sheaths, somewhat vernicose when 
exposed. Leaves distichous, articulated to the leaf- 
sheath, narrowly lanceolate, obliquely bidentate at the 
apex, firmly membranaceous, 5-15 cm. long, 4-7 mm. 
wide; leaf-sheaths smooth, not verruculose, tan, verni- 
cose, somewhat compressed. Inflorescence terminal on 
the branches, composed of a sessile compact few-flowered 
raceme, subtended by several dark brown membranaceous 
imbricated bracts. Flowers sessile, fleshy-thickened, with 
short densely verrucose ovaries. Sepals very fleshy-thick- 
ened, densely and coarsely verrucose on the outer surface. 
Dorsal sepal oblong-subquadrate, obtuse and much thick- 
ened at the apex,7.5 mm. long, 5 mm. wide. Lateral sepals 
obliquely triangular-ovate, obtuse and much thickened 
at the apex, 8-9 mm. long, 6 mm. wide across the broad 
base, adnate to the elongated column-foot to form a 
prominent mentum. Petals oblong-elliptic, narrowed be- 
low the middle, subtruncate to broadly rounded at the 
apex, 7-nerved, 10mm. long, 4.5 mm. wide. Lip subar- 
ticulated to the column-foot, strongly arcuate-recurved 
in natural position, oblong-subquadrate when spread out, 
broadest at the base of the lamina, emarginate, 1-1, 1 cm. 
long including the short narrow claw,7.2 mm. wide across 
the basal portion. Column stout, 4 mm. long, produced 
at the base into a broad elongated foot; column-foot 38.5 
mm. long. 
Ponera longipetala differs from P. swbquadrilabia, its 
nearest ally, in the larger, sessile (not pedunculate) flow- 
ers, the longer petals which exceed the sepals, and in the 
densely verrucose sepals and ovaries. The plants of P. 
subquadrilabia are unbranched, whereas P./ongipetala is 
much branched. The two species also differ in their leaf- 
sheaths. The leaf-sheaths of P. /ongipetala are smooth 
while those of P. subquadrilabia are densely verruculose. 
[ 136 ] 
