126 G. King & R. Pantling — New Orchids from Sikkim. [No. 2, 



LISTERA, R. Brown. . 



Listera breyicAulis, n. spec. Whole plant 6 to 9 in. high ; the 

 very stout stem hearing quite close to the ground a pair of unequal ovate- 

 rotund acute leaves "8 to 1 in. long ; the peduncle of the inflorescence 

 sparsely puberulous and with two distant linear-lanceolate bracts '5 in. 

 long. Raceme 2 to 4 in. long, puberulous, with 12 to 16 scattered dull 

 green flowers "25 in. long; floral bracts ovate- lanceolate, acute, longer 

 than the pedicel of the ovary. Sepals and petals sub-equal, shorter 

 than the lip, lanceolate, acute, sub-connivent. Lip obcordate and 

 with a thickened mesial line throughout its entire length ; the apical 

 lobes broad and blunt, their edges recurved and meeting underneath, 

 the base much narrowed and with 2 conical forward-pointing teeth at 

 its junction with the short column. 



Sikkim : in the Lachen Valley, elevation 9,000 feet ; flowering in 

 July. Pantling No. 392. 



Listera alternifolia, n. spec. Height of entire plant 8 to 10 in. 

 Stem glabrous, 6 in. long, sheathed at the base by a blunt oblanceolate 

 bract nearly 2 in. long, and bearing near its apex 2 alternate or sub- 

 opposite, more or less obovate or elliptic leaves "5 to "6 in. long. 

 Raceme pedunculate, puberulous, bearing 7 to 9 distant nodding olive- 

 green flowers nearly "25 in. across ; floral bract lanceolate, about as 

 long as the slender pedicel of the ovary. Sepals lanceolate, spreading, 

 acute. Petals narrowly oblong, blunt. Lip rather longer than the 

 sepals, oblanceolate-oblong, with a thickened central line from base to 

 apex, the apex blunt and shortly 2-lobed, with the margins ciliolate, 

 the base broad and with a wart-like callus at each side. Column short, 

 stout, curved. 



Sikkim : Lachen Valley, elevation about 10,000 feet, in flower 

 in July ; Pantling No. 390. 



A species of which the leaves are usually alternate, whereas in all 

 other species of the genus they are opposite. 



Listera longicaulis, n. spec. Length of the whole plant 6 to 14 

 in., of which half is the raceme and its peduncle. Stem rather stout, 

 glabrous. Leaves at the apex of the stem, orbicular-ovate to reniform, 

 sub-acute or blunt, about l - 25 in. long and 1*5 in. broad. Raceme 

 pedunculate, puberulous, with 8 to 14 distant olive green flowers "6 in. 

 long. Ovary with its pedicel '4 in. long ; floral bract lanceolate, about 

 as long as the slender pedicel. Dorsal sepal ovate-lanceolate, erect ; 

 lateral sepals and petals linear-lanceolate, sub-falcate, all slightly 

 reflexed. Lip large, three times as long as the lateral sepals, flat, ovate- 

 elliptic, the apex blunt and rather deeply bifid, the margins minutely 

 ciliolate ; the upper surface with a thickened mesial line from base to 



