159. OBCRIDACEJE. [4. Zeuxine. 



small secund in often twisted spikes. Sepals subequal free or more or 

 less cohering with the petals in an erect hood, lateral gibbous at the 

 base. Lip sessile or clawed, erect, entire or 3-lobed, base concave, 

 palate callous or lamellate. Column short, terete, base often 

 decurrent on the ovary. Stigma anticous broad, rostellum erect 

 obtuse or elongate and 2-fid ; anther erect 2-celled as long as the ros- 

 tellum ; pollinia pendulous from the gland of the rostellum, pollen 

 powdery. 



1. S. australis, Lindl. 



A graceful little orchid with several slender fascicled tubers; 3-15" 

 high with linear-lanceolate or narrowly oblong leaves 1-4" by -S-'S" 

 principally near the base of the stem, upper passing into the linear 

 acuminate bracts. Flowers white and greenish •12-- 15" (excluding 

 the -OS-'l" usually papillose or pubescent ovary) long, spirally 

 arranged (by twisting of the rhachis) on a pubescent scape with ovate 

 or lanceolate bracts exceeding the ovary. Perianth very oblique to 

 ovary, median sepal adnate to petals, lateral obliquely lanceolate 

 1 -nerved, parallel to lip which is yellowish and saccate at base with a pair 

 of large glands on margin of sac, blade slightly 3-lobed and crenulate 

 or crisped, pilose above. 



Extends from Garhwal to the Duars in grassy places !, and therefore probably 

 in oiu: Northern area, having been found each side of it. Fl. March-April. 



4. ZEUXINE, Lindl. 



Terrestrial herbs with stem creeping below and flesh}^ roots. Leaves 

 narrow or broad. Flowers small in sometimes secund spikes. Sepals 

 subequal or median rather broader and forming with the petals a 

 hood, lateral free. Lip inferior, adnate to the base of the column, 

 sessile, cymbiform or saccate with an entire 2-lobed or 2-winged 

 terminal lobe, sac usually with calli or spurs near the base within. 

 Column very short, 2-keeled or -winged in front ; stigmatic lobes 

 2 marginal, distant, anther membranous, cells contiguous or diverging 

 at base ; pollinia pyriform, attached by an oblong gland to the 

 erect rostellum with often an intermediate appendage or a linear 

 caudicle. 



A. Leaves linear :— 



Median sepal -2- -25", lip with fleshy terminal lobes, anther 



broad ovate cuspidate . . . . . . . 1. sulcata. 



Median sepal • 1", lip with 2 thin lateral wings, anther narrow 



sagittate .2. membranacea. 



B. Leaves broad, lip 2-winged at apex . . . . .3. affinis. 



1. Z. sulcata, Lindl. 



A small orchid 2-6" high, or in some districts up to 12", with fleshy 

 roots and erect stem sometimes from a creeping base, clothed closely 

 with erect grass-like leaves and terminating in a stout pyramidal spike 

 of small white flowers •2-- 25" long (excluding the ovary). 



In sandy and gravelly soil. Bettiah, Hieronymus ! Purneah ! Monghyr, 

 Lockwood\ Manbhum, "marshv ground," Ball\ SLngbhum ! Not uncommon. 

 Fl. Jan.-Feb. 



1161 



