4 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NEW GUINEA FLORA 



which they are found with some of the necessaries of life, should 

 not be better known. One of the great stumbling blocks in the 

 botanists' way has been, and even is now, the natural arrange- 

 ment of the inflorescence ; some species being known to bear 

 separate male and female inflorescences on different parts of 

 the same plants, while in other species they are borne on separate 

 plants, and collectors it would seem have not in all cases attached 

 this very necessary information to their specimens. With regard 

 to the economic features of the genus, some writers state that 

 the leaves are used in dyeing. Of several species the fruit 

 is known to be eaten ; the part used being the fleshy arillode, 

 which differs from the true arillus in being a fleshy coating of 

 the seed, not a separate body arising from the placenta, as in 

 the true arillus. It will thus be understood that while the 

 fleshy substance on the seed of Baccaurea is refreshing and 

 agreeable to the palate, it cannot in point of usefulness rank 

 with the true arillus, which can be readily removed and brought 

 into domestic use, like the mace, litchi, and the arils of several 

 of our indigenous trees which are at times collected and utilised 



for making conserves. 



Order ORCHiDEiE. 



Denclrohium, Sw. in Nov. Act. Soc. sc Upsal vi. 82. 



Sect. Distichophylla. 



D. Montedeakinense, Bail. 



Stems flattened, scarcely exceeding 1 line broad ; the 

 specimen received was a terminal end about 10 ins. long, bearing 

 a few leaves and 2 flowers. Leaves distichous, erecto-patent, 

 1 to 2 ins. long, almost linear, slightly over 2 lines broad, the 

 apex shortly and unequally 2-lobed, midrib and longitudinal 

 nerves prominent. Flowers solitary, leaf-opposed, distant from 

 the apex of the stem. Pedicel stout and somewhat curved, 

 about 2 lines long. Bracts one large and almost hyaline, the 

 others minute. Dorsal-sepal narrow-ovate, about ^h lines long, 

 the lateral ones about as long, from a very broad base, all 

 prominently veined. Petals long as sepals, but much narrower. 

 Labellum articulated to the lower elongation of the column, 

 rather thick and longer than the sepals, the middle lobe with 

 a rounded blunt end, the lateral lobes very small. Column 

 short, disk with prominent parallel nerves. Anther-lid muricate 

 outside, pollen-masses only one seen, probably two closely 

 adhering together, the other two being abortive in the flower 

 examined. 



Hab. IVIount Deakin. Captain F. R. Barton. 



