A CENTURY OF INDIAN ORCHIDS; (J. D. HOOKER). 29 
breviore apicem versus vaginis parvis oblongis: distichis coriaceis brunneis arcte 
imbricatis tecto, racemo brevi erecto, bracteis spathaceis ovario longioribus deciduis, 
floribus parvis stramineis, sepalis oblongis acutis, petalis anguste linearibus obtusis, labelli 
lobis lateralibus rotundatis terminali majusculo recurvo cuneatim obcordato, disco tenuiter 
2-carmato. С. flavida, Wall, mss.; Hook. f. Fl. Brit. Ind, v. 839; Lindl. Fol. 
Orchid., Calog. 10 (excl. * Auct. Hook. f”); Walp. Aun. vi. 223. | 
Has.—Nepat, Hamilton. біккім, alt. 1—4,000 ft. Kuasta Huts, alt. 4—5,000 it. 
Lobb., Sc. 210111707, on Kohima, Prain, 
Rhizome as thick as a goose-quill or less, as it were zigzagged superficially by 
the imbricating triangular brown scales.  Pseudobulbs 1—2} in., distant on the rhizome. 
Leaves 3—6 in., bright green; petiole slender, 1—14 in, Scape 6—10 in., slender, green, 
naked up to about one inch below the raceme, where it is clothed with small distichous 
closely imbricating convex glumaceous light-brown scale-like sheaths about j in, long ; 
raceme 1—14 in., erect, rather close-fld.; bracts sub-distichous, narrowly oblong, concave, 
about 4 in. long or less, deciduous; pedicel with ovary j in.; flowers 4 in. diam., 
uniformly pale yellow. Sepals oblong, acute; petals narrowly linear; lip with small 
side lobes and a large obcordate midlobe, disk with 2 faint ridges. Capsule $ in. 
long, ellipsoid. 
C. flavida belongs to a group of nine Indian species of the genus, with terminal scapes that 
bear distichous imbricating scales immediately below the raceme, which is otherwise naked. It would 
be interesting to discover the object of this singular arrangement. The said scales may be regarded 
as greatly reduced empty floral bracts like the small flowerless glumes beneath the principal flowerless 
ones in some grasses, but this is no explanation. A very curious modification of the scape is repre- 
sented at fig. B., which is taken from a specimen in the Wallichian Herbarium, marked in Wallich’s 
handwriting as received from Mr, Hamilton in Nepal. It presents a scape terminated by an elongate 
rachis which bears three superposed series of distichous persistent imbricating flowerless bracts, separated 
by flowering intervals when the rachis is zigzag, and naked from the flowering bracts having fallen 
away. The third or uppermost series of flowerless bracts is succeeded by a continuation of the rachis with 
its flowering bracts and flowers. Of the three naked intervals, the lowest has neither flower nor fruit, 
the second bears fruit, the third or terminal is flowering. This arrangement indicates three suüocessive 
superposed inflorescences on the same scape, probably occupying as many years for their develop- 
‘ment. I know of no parallel to this in the genus, though such may very well occur. The drawing 
here reproduced is of a Khasia specimen and is inscribed “С. flavida, Wall. Mr. Gibson, Cherra.” 
Fig. 1, bract and flower; 2 ovary and column; 3, dorsal and 4, lateral sepals; б, petals; 6, lip; 7, anther; 8 
pollinia :—all enlarged. 
< -PLATE 48. 
CaLocyne ? UNIFLORA, Lindl, 
C. С uniflora, pseudobulbis rhizomate squamoso confertis parvis Jageeniformibus 
diphyllis squamis distichis membranaceis vaginatis, foliis. lineari-lanceolatis acuminatis, 
scapo e basi pseudobulbi brevissimo 1—2 floro, bracteis parvulis pedicello decurvo brevioribus, 
foribus flavis, sepalis lateralibus oblongo-lanceolatis acuminatis recurvis, dorsali erecto, 
petalis angustioribus elliptico-lanceolatis acuminatis, labeli a basi subsaccato patente, 
lobis lateralibus fere basilaribus aurieuleformibus patentibus (columnam non amplectanti- 
bus) terminali obovato-orbiculari v. subpanduriforme, disco carinato, Lindl. in Wall. Cat. 
