1518 CXXVII. ORCHIDE^. [Oheivnia. 



elongated stems, not usually thickened into pseudo-bulbs. Leaves distichous, 

 equitant. Flowers very small, in terminal pedanculate dense racemes, the 

 pedicels short, the bracts small. 



The genus is spread over tropical Asia and tlie Indian Avclipelago, extending westward to the 

 Mascarene Islands, and eastward to the South Pacific. Of the three Queensland species one 

 has a wide range over East India and the Archipelago, the others appear to be endemic. 



Kacemes as long as or longer than the leaves. Bracts ovate, fringed-ciliate. 



Flowers yellow 1.0. iridtfolia. 



Racemes several times longer than the leaves. Bracts lanceolate, fine- 

 pointed, entire. Flowers orange 2. 0. palmk'ola. 



Eacemes slightly longer than the leaves. Bracts transparent. Flowers 



whitish 3.0. imsilla. . 



1. O. iridifolia (Iris-ltaved), Lhidl. Gen. and Sjy. Ovch. 15, and Fol. Orchid.; 

 Bentli. Fl. Anstr. vi. 274. Leafy stems very short and thick, rarely lengthening 

 to lin. Leaves 3 to 7, somethiies none of them exceeding 3in., in other 

 specimens above Gin. long and rather broad. Eacemes as long as or longer than 

 the leaves, rather dense but very slender when in flower, the minute flowers more 

 or less distinctly collected in closely approximate whorls. Bracts ovate, scarious, 

 mostly denticulate. Pedicels at length f line long. Labellum broad, more or 

 less fringed at least at the base and often 2-lobed at tlie end, about ^ line long. 

 Sepals smaller. Capsule IJ to 2 lines long, prominently angled. — J/aia.r/s 

 iridifolia, Eeichb. f. in Walp. Ann. vi. 208 ; Fitzg. Austr. Orch. ii. pt. 3. 



Hab : A very common plant north and south ; also in East India and Archipelago. 



2. O. palmicola (found on palms), F. v. J/. Frciffni. ii. 24 ; Benth. Fl. 

 A ustr. vi. 274. A small almost stemless species. Leaves 5 to 7, lanceolate, 1 to 

 2in. long. Eacemes very slender, 2 to 4in. long, the minute flowers very 

 numerous, clustered in distant whorls. Bracts as long as the flowers, lanceolate 

 with fine points and often ciliate. Sepals and petals about i line long, lanceolate, 

 acute, the petals narrower than the sepals. Iiabellum about as long as the 

 sepals, with 2 broad lateral lobes, the middle lobe rhomboidal, rather broader 

 than long. Fruiting pedicels ^ line long. Capsule nearly 1 line. — Mala.ri.i 

 palmicola, F. v. M. Fragm. vii. 30 ; Oheronia Titania, Lindl. F. v. M. in 2nd 

 Cens. Austr. PI. 185 ; Fitzg. Austr. Orch. ii. pt. 3. 



Hab.: A very common plant, by no means confined to any particular tree. 



3. O. pusilla (weak). Bail. 3rd Suppl. Si/n. Ql. Fl. 71. A delicate small, 

 light-greeu plant. Leaves slightly distichous, about 4 or 5 to a plant, semi- 

 cylindric, foveolate, fleshy, not exceeding lin. in length and about 1 line thick. 

 Racemes slightly longer than the leaves, bearing about 12 minute flowers, each 

 subtended by a transparent bract. Fruit white, globular, 1 line diameter. 



Hab.: Thickly studding the bark of a Myrtus on Bellenden-Ker, at about 4,000 feet. 



2. MICROSTYLIS, Xittt. 

 (Style small.) 

 Sepals spreading or recurved. Petals slender, as long as sepals. Labellum 

 adnate to the base of the column, usually flat, sides often produced upwards 

 beyond the column as broad or long auricles. Column very short, with short 

 spreading arms ; anther subterminal, pollen-masses 4. — Terrestrial or epiphytic, 

 pseudo-bulbous or not. Leaves 1 or more, continuous with the sheath. Flowers 

 small in terminal racemes, resupinate. 

 Fomid in temperate and tropical regions. 



1. IVE. congesta (crowded), Eeichb. f. in Hook. Fl. Brit. Lid. v. 689. Stems 

 stout, 4 to 8in. high, tuberous at the base. Leaves about 5, 3 to Tin. long, 

 1 J to 2iin. broad, obtuse a,t the base, apex acute, sessile or petiolate. Peduncle 



