2o8 OrchideCB. \Cryptostylis. 



racemes, and bracts of soft cellular tissue; sep. subequal, 

 orbicular-ovate, obtuse; pet. half as long as the sep., ovate- 

 oblong, obtuse; lip sessile at the base of the column, ovate- 

 oblong, concave, fleshy, entire; column very short, broadly 

 triangular, with a deep stigmatic pit at the base, foot o; 

 anth. dorsal, erect, 2-celled, pollinia 8, microscopic, globosely 

 pyriform, waxy, pendulous by a linear caudicle from a gland 

 attached to the minute rostellum at the top of the column. 



This genus was referred by Bentham to Phreatia, and is retained in 

 that genus in Fl. Brit. Ind. A re-examination of the flowers, and com- 

 parison with an excellent drawing in Herb, Perad., inclines me to retain 

 the genus as proposed by Thwaites, who correctly refers it to Vandece. 

 1 do not find the caudicle of the pollinia to be forked as represented in 

 the Peradeniya drawing. 



0> parvula, Thw. Enum. 305. C. P. 3072. 



Phreatia parvula^ Benth. ex Hook. f. Fl. Brit. Ind. v. 381. 



Stem 3-5 in., stout, curved, at length naked below; 1. 

 i-f in., linear-oblong, acute, fleshy, ped. with spiciform 

 raceme i in., rhachis stout, usually curved, pedicels very 

 short; bracts broadly ovate, acuminate, sheathing the short 

 nearly straight ov. ; sep. about -iq in. long. 



Montane zone, 4-7000 ft. ; rather- common. Hantane; near Matale; 

 Rangala; Maturata; Uimbula; Hakgala; Horton Plains. Fl. Aug. -J an.; 

 pale green. 



Endemic. 



Dr. Trimen observes that this plant has much the habit of an Oberonia, 

 and that it can scarcely come under Phreatia. It is very closely allied 

 to, if not the same with, Phreatia nana, Fl. B. Ind. v. 811. (Hook. Ic. PI. 

 t. 2084), from Perak. — J. D. H. 



42. CRVPTOSTVIiZS, Br. 



Terrestrial herbs, rootstock short, stout, bearing long 

 petioled membranous leaves, and leafless flg. scapes; roots of 

 strong fibres; fl. loosely racemcd, sep. subequal, narrowly 

 linear, subacute, spreading; pet. as narrow, shorter, spread- 

 ing; lip superior, large, erect, inserted at the base of the 

 column, oblong or lanceolate, entire, base contracted em- 

 bracing the column ; column very small, short, foot o, 

 rostellum broad, thick, acute, notched after detachment of the 

 pollinia; stigma anticous, tumid; anth. dorsal, short, broad, 

 2-cclled, pollinia 2, pyriform, granular, sessile on the small 

 gland, pendulous from the rostellum. — Sp. 7; i in Fl. B. Ind. 



