1544 CXXVII. ORCHIDE^. [Pliaius. 



Var. Beniaijsii. Only to be distinguished from typical plant by the colour of the flower 

 ■of a pale-yellow inside, the labelluni also yellow edged with white. The spur of the labellum 

 rather stvaighter than in the common species, but sometimes curved in the cultivated plants. 

 — P. Blumei, var. Bernaysii, Keichb. f. in Bot. Mag. t. 6032 ; Beichb. f. in Gard. Chroil. 

 1873, 361 ; Benth. Fl. Austr. vi. 305. 



Hab.: Moreton Bay, Bernays. 



Forma Idee. This has a broader labellum more than the half of which Is white. 



In flower September, 1897, in Mr. E. Grimley's garden, Brisbane. 



Hab.: Stradbroke Island. 



Forma Soutteri. In colouring the flowers of this form are similar to those of the typical 

 plants, the change is in the following parts : — The wings of the column are greatly enlarged 

 •and overlap each other on the face of the labellum, and end in a kind of spur at the base, the 

 outer margin is very wavy in which and also in the colouring they resemble a second labellum, 

 their attaohmfent to the column varies, sometimes being attached to the whole length sometimes 

 only about half the length. The column like that of var. Bernaysii, shows a tendency to 

 become triandrous, The same plants have been proved to produce these so called double 

 flower year after year, with also the perfect flowers. 



Hab.: Islands of Woreton Bay, W. Sautter. 



12. PHOLIDOTA, Lindl. 



(Bracts ear-like). 



Flowers subglobose. Sepals nearly equal, free. Petals smaller. Labellum 

 sessile at the base of the column, concave or almost saccate at the base, entire or 

 3-lobed, the lateral lobes erect, the middle lobe recurved. Column erect, some- 

 what hood-shaped at the top and winged in front. Anther terminal, lid-like, 

 2-celled, the valves almost transverse. Pollen-masses 4, waxy, globular, without 

 any caudicle. — Epiphytical herbs, the rhizome usually shortly creeping, bearing 

 short flowering stems or pseudo-bulbs, with a single terminal leaf. Flowers 

 rather small, in terminal pedunculate racemes usually recurved. Bracts often 

 rather broad and imbricate in the young raceme. 



The genus is spread over East India and the Archipelago, the only Australian species 

 ranging over the greater part of the area of the genus. 



1. P. imbricata (imbricate), LiiuU. in Hook. Exot. Fl. ii. t. 138; Gen. and 

 8p. Orch. 36 ; Benth. Fl. Austr. vi. 290. " Jarra-ronga-ronga," Johnstone River, 

 W. C. Hardinr). Stems short, with a few sheathing scales and a single leaf, the 

 older stems thickened into pseudo-bulbs. Leaf broadly lanceolate or oblong, 

 acuminate, contracted and convolute at the base, prominently ribbed, often above 

 1ft. long. Peduncle long and slender from within the convolute base of the leaf, 

 the flowering part at length recurved and 6in. long or more. Bracts broadly 

 ovate, obtuse or almost acute, 4 to 5 lines long, complicate and imbricate at first, 

 spreading from the flexuose rhachis when the flowers are out. Pedicels about 3 

 lines long. Sepals ovate-lanceolate, about 3 lines ; petals rather smaller. 

 Labellum about as long as the sepals, the concave almost globular part erect, 

 bordered by the short broad lateral lobes, the middle lobe broader than long, the 

 margin undulate and more or less distinctly 3-lobed. Column about H line long, 

 the margins winged upwards. Capsule obovate, about ^in. long. — Bot. Reg. 

 t. 1213; Wight. Ic. t. 907: F. v. M. Fragm. iv. 163; Fitzg. Austr. Oreh. ii. 

 Pt. 4. 



Hab.: Very common on the stems of trees in the tropical scrubs. 



This species is common in E. India and the Archipelago, the Australian specimens differing 

 slightly in the rather larger bracts. ,-, 



13. CALANTHE, R. Br. 



(From the Greek — literally "pretty flower.") , 



Sepals and petals nearly equal, free, spreading, the lateral sepals sometimes 

 shortly adnate to the labellum at the base. Labellum connate at the base with 

 the column in a sort of cup, usually produced into a spur at the base, the 



