204 ORCHIDS OF THE SIKKIM-HIMALAYA. 
5, LUISIA VOLUCRIS, Lindl., Fol. Orch., 1. 
Pendulous; séems slender, 2 to 5 feet long, branching. Leaves inserted on one side 
only of the stem, rather slender, ‘15 in. thick, and 6 to 8 in. long, internodes 2 in. 
long. Spikes rising half way between the leaves, ‘5 in. long. Flowers З or 4, expanding 
only one at а time; bract broad, blunt, sheathing S2pals sub-equal, spreading, oblong, 
obtuse, the lateral pair concave towards the apex, all keeled on the midrib behind. 
Petals equalling the sepals in length at first, but lengthening to more than twice as long, 
linear, spathulate, widely spreading. Тір slightly longer than the sepals, the basal part 
(hypochile) cuneate-quadrate, auricled at the base, the edges upturned; the apical part 
(epichyle) decurved, oblong-cordate, narrowed to the rather broad emarginate apex, the 
edges crenate-undulate, and the upper surface with shallow broad vertical ridges. Column 
about half as long as the lip, broad, dilated opposite the larg» transversely oval stigma. 
Anther depressed, sub-quadrate. Pollinia oval, attached by а broad short caudicle to 
a transversely elongate gland. Walp. Ann. VI, 619; Hook fil Fl. Br. Ind. VI, 25. 
Г. filiformis, Hook, fil. Fl. Br. Ind. VI, 98, 1. Grovesii, Hook. fil. le. 25. 
Sikkim, at low elevations; in flower during March and April; Pantling, No. 122. 
Khasia Hills. | 
A species with pendulous habit, much resembling Sarcanthus filiformis, Lindl., the stems 
often attaining a length of as much as five feet. Тһе sepals and petals are always of 
a pale green.- The lip varies in colour, sometimes resembling the sepals and petals, 
but in other specimens being wholly of a dull dark purplish-brown, In the majority. (as 
depicted in the figure) the epichyle is broadly margined with pale green. 
PLATE 273.—Luisia volucris, Lindl, A plant; of natural size. Fig. 1 a flower, 2 floral bract, stalked 
ovary, column with aather i4 situ, and lip, 3 column with the anther in situ and the stigma, front 
view, 4 apex of column with the pollinia in situ (the cap of the anther having been removed), 
5 pollinia after having completed their movement, 6 empty anther, from below; ай enlarged, 
44. Diploprora, Hook. fil. 
Siem short, slender, pendulous. Leaves flaccidly fleshy, oblong-lanceolate, sessile ; 
peduncle short, leaf-opposed, few-flowered. Sepals elliptic, keeled, ‘spreading. Petals 
oblong, obtuse, reflexed. Lip as long as the petals, adnate to the base and also slightly 
to the sides of the column, cymbiform and sigmoidly curved; the hypochile concave, 
with recurved erect edges; the epichyle triangular, EE and suddenly narrowed 
to the bicaudate apex, the disc with an erect keel. Column very short, with no foot. 
Stigma large. Anthzr conical, 2-celled. Ро та 2, ovoid, bifid behind; caudicle short, 
flat; gland small, thin. Capsule narrow. The only species. | 
This genus is allied to Luisia and Vanda, from both of which it differs in the suddenly dontrastod, 
laterally compressed, apically bifid epichyle of its lip. From Luisia it is at once distinguished by 
having flat instead of terete leaves. When dried the leaves appear to be membranous in texture; they 
are, however, not really so when alive. On the contrary, they are then thick and almost coriaceous. 
The plump appearance is due to the presence of much water in their tissues, the removal of which by 
gives rise to their membranous appearance in the Herbarium. As far as texture of leaves goes, 
this plant might be a Vanda or Arachnanthe, and its separation from these genera depends on the 
peculiarities о: the lip. 
