6. Vanilla.] 159. OBCHIDACE^. 



yield the pods (at Palandu). They require harvesting as soon as they become 

 pale yellowish-green. 



Vanilla is also produced by F. (jrandifiora and F. phacantha, neither of which 

 is believed to be grown in oiu- area. 



4 



7. OBERONIA, Lmdl 



Small tufted epiphytes without pseudobulbs, with equitant fleshy 

 leaves articulate above the sheath and very minute flowers in dense 

 subcylindric spikes or racemes. Sepals ovate or oblong, petals some- 

 what smaller, lip sessile, concave, entire or 2-4-lobed. Column very 

 short, anther terminal, pollinia 4 waxy, cohering by a viscus. 



A. Ehachis of inflorescence slender. Fls. shortly pedicelled : — 

 Petals broad, ovate, lip with small rounded or tooth-like 



side-lobes . . . . . . . . .1. Falconeri. 



Petals linear, lip with filiform side-lobes ... .2. rufilabris. 



B. Eliachis thick fleshy. Flowers sessile :— 



Lip entire . , , . , . . . .3. pachyrachis. 



1. 0. Falconeri, Hook. f. 



A curious little epiphyte with oblong-lanceolate or broadlj^ ensiform 

 distichous leaves • 5-2 • 5" long and terminal spiciform racemes of 

 inconspicuous greenish-yellow flowers -07" long, the perianth only 

 •03" long. Hyaline bracts nearly as long as the flower, ovate-lan- 

 ceolate or oblong, serrulate. 



Frequent in Chota Nagpur. Singbhum ! Burkutta, plains of Behar on Ficus 

 and Bassia, J.D.H. ! Hazaribagh, Clarke ! Ranchi, Prain ! Manbhum, Camp- 

 bell ! Fl. Oct. Fr. Jan. 



Racemes slender with short stout peduncle, 2-3" long exceeding the leaves, 

 erect or deciuved. Pedicels very short. Petals ovate, lip oblong or subquadrate 

 with small roundish or tooth-like lateral lobes, tip with 2 small inciu-ved lobes 

 separated by a broad sinus. Capsule -12" obovoid ribbed, shortly pedicelled. 



2. 0. rufilabris, Lindl. 



This is frequent in the Jalpaiguri district whence I sent it to Mr. PantUnq, and 

 it probably occurs in Purneah. It is described as follows : " This lovely little 

 gem . . . has fascicles of thickish equitant leaves and nodding terminal 

 inflorescence of very small flowers in dense verticils, and with setaceous bracts 

 surpassing the flowers in length. The small fls. are light camboge-yellow, ulti- 

 mately turning light red. The lip and the margins of the column are deep brick 

 red from the first, the lip has a thick hippocrepic callus at the base." 



In evergreen strips of forest on branches overhanging streams ! Fl. Feb. 



3. 0. pachyrachis, Reichb. f. 



A somewhat larger plant than the last tAvo with leaves up to 4". 

 Easily recognized by the thick fleshy rhachis of the spike densely 

 covered with the minute sessile imbricate flowers, and which appears 

 to be terminal or lateral on a leaf, the latter being adnate to its peduncle. 



This also probably occurs on trees overhanging streams in Purneah and perhaps 

 Champaran, as it has been found in the districts each side of oiu: northern area iu 

 such situations. Fl. Feb. -March. 



8. MICROSTYLIS, Nutt. 



Terrestrial (in our area) or sometimes epiphytic, stems often 

 enlarged or tuberous below, leaves 1 or more not articulate on their 

 sheath. Flowers small in terminal racemes. Sepals spreading or 



1164 



