MIChOSTYLIS. 17 
blunt lobules; arms of the column only slightly fleshy; anther with a small sub-acute 
emarginate lip; leaves thicker in texture than in typical M. Wallichii, less acute and 
less undulate. М. biloba, Wall Cat. 1940; Lindl. Gen. and Spec. Orch. 20; Ridley in 
Journ. Linn. Soc. XXIV, 337. 
In tropical Himalayan valleys at elevations below 5,000 feet. Pantling No. 37; 
flowering in Sikkim from July to September, Found also westwards along the Hima- 
layan range to Nepal: also in the Khasia Hills. 
Lindley considered this a species, and Wall. Cat. No. 1940 was issued under the 
name of JM. biloba, Lindl. It was reduced by Sir Joseph Hooker, in his Flora of 
British India, to variety biola of М. Wailichii; and the latter distinguished botanist, 
in an exhaustive note, illustrated by numerous figures of the lip, which he published 
in vol, V of the Annals of the Calcutta Garden, suggested that there are probably several 
species included under М. Waılichii as understood by him in the latter work. We feel 
satisfied, after the examination by Mr. Pantling of a hundred living plants each of 
M. Wallicht and of M. biloba, Lindl., that the latter ought to be kept up only as 
a distinct variety of the former. ‘The chief differences between the type and the 
variety are to be found in the lip. Іп var. dioba the basal lobes of the lip are 
slightly faleate, and they are convergent, so that their apices either meet or overlap; 
the apical portion of the lip is abruptly bent forward (as is shown in fig. 2, plate 19), 
and forms an obovate-oblong or sub-quadrate apical lobe divided at its extremity into 
two rounded parallel oblong blunt lobules. In a hundred plants carefully examined by 
Mr. Pantling. there was found to be practically no variation in these characters. Now 
in typical M. Wallichii the basal lobes of the lip are not at all falcate, their inner edges 
being quite straight, They therefore lie parallel to each other, the space between them 
being pretty wide; and their apices, which are acute, do not converge in the least. 
There is no constriction between the basal lobes and the anterior portion of the lip; 
in other words there is no distinetly marked apical lobe, the end of the lip is rounded 
and merely notched at the centre (it is never lobed), the notched part being slightly re- 
curved. But there are other differences than those found in the lip. For example, 
the columnar arms in var. biloba are only slightly fleshy, and the anther has a small 
sub-acute emarginate lip; whereas, in JM. Wailichii the arms of the column are very 
fleshy, and the lip of the anther is truncate. The leaves of the two also differ— 
those of var. biloba being of thicker texture with a rather less acute apex. Moreover 
the edges are only slightly and often not at all undulate ; the leaves of M. Wal- 
lichii, on the other hand, are very undulate, the apex being acute or acuminate. 
Finally, the flowers of var. biloba vary from pale yellow to dull purple. 
Prate 19.—NMicrostylis Wallichii, Lindl., var. biloba. A plant, of natural size. Fig. 1 flower, 
front view, 2 flower, back view, 3 column and apex of ovary, 4 vertical section of column and lip, 
5 anther, 6 pollinia; ай! en/arged. 
3. Місковтуілв Scorru, Hook. fil. Fl. Br. Ind. V, 687. 
Stem about 2 in. high, Leaves two to five, sessile or with short convolute angled 
petioles, obliquely ovate-lanceolate, acute, the base narrowed, 5- to T-nerved, the edges 
much undulate, almost crenate; length of blade 3 to 5 in, breadth 1:25 to 1:5 ір. 
Inflorescence longer than the leaves ; the peduncle ribbed and bearing & few scattered 
linear reflexed bracts. Flowers 8 to 74 in. long; the floral bract linear, reflexed, as 
Axx. Roy. Bor. Gan». CarcrrrA, Vor. VIIJ. 
