159. ORCHIDAGEJE. [11. Thunia, 



10. PHOLIDOTA, Lindl. 



Stems formed of superposed elongate pseudobulbs or with 1-2- 

 leaved pseudobulbs sessile on a rhizome. Flowers small subglobose 

 in the axils of distichous bracts in often fiexuous close racemes. Sepals 

 concave. Petals flat. Lip sessile on the base of the column, erect, 

 saccate, subentire or 3-4-lobed. Column very short, hooded or 

 winged. Anther-cells subglobose, rarely elongate, pollinia 4, sub- 

 globose, free or cohering in pairs by a viscus. 



1. P. imbricata, Lindl. 



A curious little ej^iphyte with numerous uninodal pseudobulbs 

 seated on a creeping rhizome, I -leaved only. Racemes drooping 

 terminal, 4-12", on a peduncle nearly as long, closely covered with 

 imbricating distichous broadly orbicular-deltoid bracts each bearing 

 a subglobose whitish or pale yellowish flower -3" cliam. 



On trees and rocks in the forests, Singblnim ! Eanchi, at Netcrhat, 3000 ft. ! 

 Fl. August. 



Leaf 4-12", elliptic-lanceolate, rather plicate and somewhat cuspidate, almost 

 fleshy, 3-nerved, petioled. Apex of peduncle with several empty sheathing bracts, 

 floral bracts -3" broad. Sepals -2- -25" long, dorsal orbicular 3-nerved, lateral 

 cymbiform with winged keel, connate at the base. Petals hnear-oblong falcate 

 l-nerved, lip 4-lobed, 2 large rounded side-lobes and 2 smaller quadrate terminal 

 lobes. Pollinia deeply cleft, waxy. (Capsule -75", ellipsoid on a thickened rhachis. 



The slender flower rhachis often persists after the fruits have fallen and till the 

 next year. 



11. THUNIA, Rekhb. 



Terrestrial or epiphytic, stems slender or internodes equally thick- 

 ened, not pseudobulbous, leafy with foliaceous sheaths below, ter- 

 minating in the inflorescence. Leaves distichous, lanceolate. 

 Flowers in terminal racemes with large scarious bracts. Sepals erecto- 

 patent, subequal, lanceolate. Petals similar. Lip adnate to base of 

 column, shortly spurred, side-lobes short embracing the column,, 

 mid-lobe fringed. Anther narroAv, pendulous, incomplete, 4-celled, 

 pollinia 8, waxy, attached in fours to a granular membrane. 



1. T. venosa, Rolje. Syn. Phajus albus, F.B.I, (in part), and P. albus,. 

 Beng. PL 



Epiphytic with elongate tufted stems 6-18" long clothed with 

 linear-ensiform leaves 6-9" long acuminate above the middle, and 

 with usually shorter lanceolate ones passing into sheaths at the base 

 of the stems, lateral stronger nerves each side of mid-rib 2-3 rarely 

 only one and numerous finer parallel nerves between them. Raceme 

 drooping short 3-5" including the very short peduncle, few-fid. with 

 lanceolate sub-persistent bracts of which lower are 1-5-1 -7" long. 

 Flowers white, 1 • 5" long, lip 1 • 2" with crisped side-lobes, spur • 15". 

 Sep. and pet. spreading oblong-lanceolate acuminate. Lip 1-2" with 

 involute crisped side-lobes, apex spreading waved and ciliate, palate 

 with 5 longitudinal lines of soft erect purple fibrilla? and with radiating 

 lilac-purple lines on to the side-lobes. 



Sarguja, Cardon ! Fl. July. 



Thunia alba, Reichb.f., with which this was confused until the differences were- 



1167 



