404 



SYSTEMATIC BOTANY 



cold-climate plants, such as the hill-orchids and lilies> 

 to grow on the plains. 



HABENARIA, the white or purple ground Orchid of 

 the Nilgiri and Pulney hills. There are several species 

 differing from each other chiefly in the shape of the 

 lip and in the position of the sepals and length of spur, 

 but as regards the important characters of the flowers, 

 so much alike that almost any may be taken and 

 examined with the description given below. 



FIG. 



HABENARIA GALEANDRA, Benth. 



The plant has a tuber a few inches below the 

 ground, from which rises a green herbaceous stem 

 six inches or more in height. The leaves are alter- 

 nate and clasp the stem by their lower parts, and 

 are traversed by three or more parallel or arching 

 unbranched veins of a typically basal, and monocoty- 

 ledonous, character. There is no petiole, no pulvinus, 

 the sheathing base and the spreading blade merging 



