8 ORCHIDS OF THE SIKKIM-HIMALAYA. 
minute (‘06 in. long), brown, verticillate. Sepals and petals sub-equal, broadly ovate, 
obtuse or sub-acute, entire, spreading. Lip fleshy, much larger than the sepals and petals, 
3-lobed; the basal lobes large, auriculate, pectinate, with an elliptic nectar-secreting 
concavity between their anterior ends; the terminal lobe rather smaller, reniform, 
entire except for a shallow elongate sub-mucronate erosion at the apex. Clinandrium 
much broader than the anther; pollinia resting on the minute projecting viscid rostel- 
lum. Lindl. Fol. Orchid. Oberonia, p. 4. Malazis Jenkinsiana, Reichb. fil. in Walp. 
Aun YL 3IL 
Sikkim, in the valley of the Teesta; elevation about 1,000 feet. Pantling No. 185. 
Distrib. Khasia Hills up to 4,000 feet; Clarke, Hooker and Thomson. 
Puare 7.—Oberonia Jenkinsiana, Griff. A plant, of natural sise. Fig. 1 front view of a flower, 
2 floral bract, spread out, 3 anther, + pollinia; all enlarged. 
9. ОвевомА IRIDIFOLIA, Lindl. Gen. and Spec. Orchid., 15. 
Stem short. Leaves broadly ensiform, acute, 2 to 10 in. long and “25 to 1 in. broad. 
Inflorescence longer than the leaves, decurved; peduncle winged, ebracteate; spike twice 
(sometimes three times) as long as the peduncle, its rachis rather slender, densely-flowered ; 
floral bract minute, elliptic, obtuse, coarsely erose, convolute round the sessile ovary. 
Flıwers minute ("06 in. long), sub-verticillate, pale green or yellow. Sepals and petals 
sub-equal, ovate, reflexed and resting on the ovary, the former entire, the latter erose. 
Lip orbicular, indistinctly 3-lobed; the side lobes pectinate, erose; the terminal 
lobe broad, transversely oblong, deeply and bluntly emarginate at the apex and 
coarsely erose. Capsules broadly ovoid, sessile. Folia Orchid. Oberonia, p. 1. Wall. 
Cat. No. 1948-2 (in part oniy); Hook fil. Fl. Br. Ind. V, 675. Malaxis iridifolia, Reichb. 
fil. in Walp. Ann. VI, 208. 
Common in the tropical valleys of the Sikkim and Bhotan Himalaya; Pantling 
No. 13. Also iu the hill ranges of Assam and Burma, and in the Andaman Islands. 
In flower in Sikkim from September to December. 
This is а widely-distributed and variable species; but only the typical form, 
as above described, occurs in Sikkim. Sir Joseph Hooker (Fl. Br. Ind. V, 676) 
recognises three varieties, viz., var. denticulata, found in the Nilgiri and Pulney ranges 
of hills; var. angustifolia, from the Khasia Hills; and var. brevifolis, from Burma and 
the Andamans. 
Рілтв 8.—Oberonia iridifolia, Lindl. forma typica. A plant, of natural size. Pie ts BR ; 
front view, 2 в flower, side view, 3 floral bract, flattened out, 4 anther, 5 pollinia; all enlarged. 
10. OBERoNIA ENsIFoRMIS, Lindl. Fol. Orchid. Oberonia, p. 4. 
Siem about З in. long. Leaves linear-ensiform, acuminate, falcate, length 3 to I8 in., 
breadth *d to ‘75 in. Inflorescence erect, shorter than the leaves, its apex sub- 
truncate, its peduncle 2 to 3 in, long and bearing numerous minute lanceolate adpressed 
pale braeteoles; the raceme about twice as long as the pedancle; its rachis thick, fleshy, 
terete; floral bract longer than the ovary, convolute, ovate-rotund, sub-acute, ecose. Flowers 
12 in. long, pale brown, not at all sunk in the rachis. Sepuls sub-equal, broadly ovate, 
sub-acute, entire, not ciliolate, reflexed, Petals ovate, sub-acute, stiffly pubescent, the 
edges entire and eiliolate. Lip twice as long as the sepals, 3-lobed, with two large 
тоюп led entire basal lobes, a sub-quadrate smooth slightly eoncave mesochile which 
