138 
PHOLIDOTA IMBRICATA. 
Imbricated Pholidota. 
GYNANDRIA MONANDRIA.— Nat. Ord. ORCHIDEM. 
PHOLIDOTA, Lindl. MSS. 
Gen. Char. — Flares resupinati. Petala subconformia, 3, exteriora erecto* 
patentia, dorso carinata. Lahellum ventricosum, trilobum. Columna 
apice dilatata. Anthera bilocularis, persistens ; Massce pollinis 2 in sin* 
gulo loculo, basi glandula unitse. 
Cymbidium imbricatum, Carey, MSS. 
Wellia, Thecka maravara, Rheede, Hort. Malah. v. xii. p. 147- 1. 24. 
Parasitic. Root a few simple or branched fibres. Stems short, clustered* 
when young subcylindrical, and clothed with sheathing large scales, 
brown and membranaceous at the border, in the old plant constituting 
a rather large, ovato-oblong, subtruncated and sulcated fleshy bulb, par- 
tially clothed with the old scales ; at the summit bearing only a single 
broadly lanceolate, acute, erect, striated leaf, attenuated and convolute 
at the base, somewhat waved at the margin. 
From the extremity of the stem, and within the convoluted base of the leaf, 
arises the solitary flower-stalk, almost a foot in length, slender, pendent, 
naked, having at the extremity a long, crowded, distichous spike of 
flowers, which, in the state of bud, are so closely imbricated and con- 
cealed with the ovate bracteas, that the spike bears an apt resemblance 
to the tail of some species of serpent. When the flowers expand, the 
bracteas are more apart, the spike becomes much longer, and the flowers 
are protruded, of a dingy yellow brown or tawny colour. 
The petals are nearly equal in size, ovate, subconnivent, the three outer 
ones broad, very concave, and keeled at the back, the two inner ones 
smooth, slightly concave. Lip equal in length with the petals, standing 
forward, of a roundish figure, remarkably ventricose, gibbous at the 
base, 3-lobed, lateral lobes erect, intermediate one reflexed and subtri- 
fid, its colour paler than the petals. Column white, rather shorter than 
the petals, oblong, dilated upwards, and subcucuUate. Anther fixed just 
below the summit in front, dark brown, 2-lobed, 2-celled, each cell 
opening transversely, and containing a double pollen-mass, united at the 
base by a granulated gland, each portion obovate, yellow. 
VOL. II. 
