Plate 2134. 



SACCOLABIUM OBTUSIFOLIUM, JJouh, f. 



OtvCHIde^. Sabtribe SARCA>'TnE.i:. 



S. obtusifolium, Hook. /. Fl. Brit. Ind. vi. 65 ; canle brevi robusfo, 

 foliia late loratis apice proiunde bifidis lobis rotunrlatifl, raoemo 

 eloTjgato multifioro, bracteis ovatis acntis reflexis, sepalis petalisqne 

 ohloiigis obtasis concavis, labello cymbiforoii v. infundibalari in calcar 

 incurvum apice clavatum prodacto, lobis lateralibns 0, terminali parvo 

 reniforme basi callo insfcructo. Uncifera obtusifolia, Lindh in Joiirn. 

 Linn, Soc, iii. 40. 



Hab. Sikkim Himalaya, alt. 5,000 feet, Clarke'^ Bhotan, Col. Lister^ 

 Khaaia Hills, alt. 4,000 feet^ /. I). H. and T. Thomson. 



Caules 2-4-pollicares, crassitie pennse anserine, radicibus elongatis- 

 F*>lia 4-(5-pollicaria, |-1 polL lata, plana, crasse coriacea; vaginoe 



\~^ poll, lungse, Scapi infra folia ortij unacum racemis 4-5-pollicares, 

 bracteae majusculse, persistentes ; pedicellis unaeum ovariis |- poll. 

 longis ; Acres \ poll, diara.j virescentes, demum stramiuei. Se^jala et 

 peUila 3-nervia* Lahelhim unacum calcare sepalis subduplo longius. 

 Columna brevis, rostello parvulo ; anthera tumida, longe rostrata ; 

 polliuia 2. parva, infra apicern late cordatam v. bialatam stipitis magni 

 basi arigusfcati stipltellata, glandula elongato-lanceolata. 



The singular poUinia of this and the following species induced 

 Lindley to refer them to a genus apart, which he designated Uncifera. 

 This he assuredly would not have done had he been aware of the 

 nature of the pollinia of S. flavum (Plate 2131), of Sarcauihus 

 ParisMi^ and of probably other allied plants. It is indeed a singular 



facfc that in the tribe Sarcanthem the pollen and its appendages, whilst 

 offering a maximum amoilnt of variety in structure, seem to be of no 

 avail for the purpose of classification. — J. D. H. 



Fig. 1. Side view ; and 2, front view of flower. 3. Apes of lip, with midlobe and 

 callus. 4. Anctier. 5 and 6. Pullinia. All enlarged. 



