:124 ORCHIDS OF THE SIKKIM-HIMALAYA. 
13. ERIA EXCAVATA, Lindl. in Wall. Cat., 1974 (tn part). 
Pseudo-bulbs oblong, tapering to each end, compressed, about 1:5 in. long, somewhat 
shrivelled at flowering-time. Leaves four to six, membranous in texture, many-nerved, 
elliptic-lanceolate or elliptic-oblanceolate, acute, 3 to б in. long and *6 to “75 in. broad. 
Raceme solitary, terminal, about as long as the leaves, few-flowered, the rachis more 
or less rufous-pubescent; peduncle long, ebracteate. Flowers "35 in. long; floral bract 
slightly shorter than the tomentose stalked ovary, lanceolate, glabrescent. Sepals con- 
nivent, the dorsal broadly elliptic; the lateral pair longer, fualcate, all rusty-pubescent 
externally and 3-nerved. Petals narrower, 3-nerved, conniving over the anther. Lip 
obovate in general outline, 3.lobed; the lateral lobes erect, rounded and with two 
elongate calli between them; the terminal lobe decurved, transversely oblong, its apex 
bilobulate, the dise rugulose. Mentum none. Column and its foot very short. Pollinia 
clavate-elliptic, attached to a single small viseus. Capsules *8 in. long, oblong, ribbed. 
Hook. fil. Ie. Plantar. t. 1846; Fl. Br. Ind. V, 795. Е. excavata (in part) Lindl., Gen. 
and Spec. Orchid., 67; Journ. Linn. Soc. ІП, 53. Е. spherochila and E. flava, var. rubida, 
Lindl. in Journ. Linn. Soc, ІП, 54, 49; Hook. fil. Іс. Plant, t. 1845; Fl. Br. Ind. 
V, 795. Осіотеғіа excavata, Wall. MSS. 
Sikkim, at elevations of about 6,000 to 9,000 feet; Gamble, King, Thomson; 
Pantling, No. 273; in flower during June. Khasia Hilis, elevation 6,000 feet; G. 
Mann. 
The flowers are of a dirty white colour, the end lobe of the lip being yellow with 
some red markings about its base. Wallich’s specimens numbered 1974, and named 
Е. excavata, consist of a mixture of this and of E. confusa, Hook. fil. The specific name 
excavate was given on account of the supposed concavity on the. anterior surface of the 
column and its foot. These organs are, however, not concave in fresh specimens of the 
plant as it occurs in Sikkim. Sir Joseph Hooker's figures of this (Ic. Plantar, t. 1846) 
and of E. alba Lindl. (l. e. t. 1845) show that the two are closely allied. All the 
specimens gathered in Sikkim- are, however, self-fertile. Their flowers hardly open, and 
the colour is poorer than in specimens collected in the Khasia Hills, the flowers of 
which expand freely and are not self-fertile. It is possible therefore that E. ercavata 
is but a cleistogamic form of Ё, alba, and, if so, the latter name (in spite of its juniority 
and of the mechanical law of priority) ought to be kept up, and E. ezcavaía to be made 
а variety of it. 
Prate. 171.--Егіп excarata, Lindl, А plant; of natural sise. Fig. 1 а flower seen from above, 
2 floral bract, ovary, column with its foot, anther in situ, and lip in profile, 3 upper surface of lip, 
4 column and its foot, the anther having been removed, 5 under surface of anther, 6 pollinia; ай 
enlarged, 
14, ERIA coronaria, Reichb. fil. in Walp. Ann. VI, 272. 
-Pseudo-bulbs tufted, thin, cylindric, 5 or 6 in. long and :25 to ‘35 іп, in diam 
when young, with a large tubular sheath at the base.  Levaes two, terminal, sub- 
opposite, sub-sessile, thickly membranous, narrowly elliptic to ovate-lanceolate, 5 or 6 
= long, and 1:25 to 15 in. broad. Raceme terminal, usually sub-horizontal, few- 
flowered, its peduncle short and sheathed at the hase. Flowers four to mx, 15 im 
across; foral bract narrowly lanceolate, much shorter than the long-stalked slender 
