Podochilus^ Orchidecs. 205 



Stem 2-6 in. or more, sometimes leafy to the base, at 

 others leafless below for several inches, and emitting numerous 

 very long roots; 1. jointed on the sheaths, 2-3 by |-i in., 

 thinly coriaceous, bright green, veinless; ped. with raceme 

 2-3 in., very stout, sometimes zigzag, green, bracts shorter 

 than the ov., broadly ovate, obtuse, pedicel with ov. \ in., 

 stout; sep. about \ in. long. 



Moist low country below 2000 ft.; rare. Ambagamuwa Dist; Kara- 

 wita Kande, Sabaragamuwa, Balangoda. Fl. August; straw-coloured, 

 with a few red markings on the lip. 



Also in the Himalaya, Khasia, Burma, Hong Kong. 



39. PODOCKZIiUS, Bl. 



Stems tufted, leafy, rooting at the base only, pseudo- 

 bulbs o; 1. short, distichous, closely imbricate, equitant, 

 laterally strongly compressed, coriaceous, not jointed on the 

 sheaths; fl. small or minute, in short terminal or subterminal 

 spikes or racemes, resupinate; sep. and pet. conniving, dorsal 

 sepal small, lateral much larger, adnate to the long decurved 

 foot of the column, and forming with it a spur-like mentum ; 

 pet. broader and narrower than the dorsal sep. ; lip jointed on 

 the apex of the foot of the column, narrow, entire, membran- 

 ous; column short, rostellum broad, erect, at length 2-fid. ; 

 anth. at the back of the column, erect, 2-celled, pollinia 4, 

 pyriform, waxy, pendulous in pairs from a small gland at the 

 tip of the rostellum, each pair enclosed in a calyptriform 

 membrane that is removed with it. — Sp. 12 or more ; 9 in Fl. 

 B. Ind. 



The above description does not include the species with flat or 

 acicular non-equitant leaves, of which none have been found in Ceylon. 



L. ^-i in. long. 



Pet. orbicular i. P. falcatus. 



Pet. linear 2. P. malabaricus. 



L. \~\ in. long 3. P. SAXATILIS. 



I. P. falcatus, Li7idl. Gen. and Sp. Orch. 234 (1833). 

 Thw. Enum. 306. C. P. 2527. 

 Fl. B. Ind. vi. 80. 



Stems 6-15 in. long, slender, naked at the base, with 

 stout spreading roots; 1. f-i in. by \ in. broad at the 

 equitant base, ovate, obtuse, straight, erect, upper gradually 

 smaller; racemes 1-3, very shortly peduncled, i|-2 in. long, 

 inclined or deflexed from the top of the stem, rhachis slender, 

 fl. secund, about \ in. long from the tip of the dorsal sepal to 



