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164 BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS OF KASHMIR [Plate 57
Flowers crowded, very small, green. Floral bract linear-lanceshaped,
long-pointed, shorter than or as long as the ovary.
Sepals almost equal, oblong, blunt, the dorsal one meeting
with the petals to form a hood, lateral pair spreading. Petals
Lip much longer than the sepals,
linear, as long as the sepals.
bent down from the base, with ear-like ears on its lower half,
tip 3-fid, midlobe much shorter than the slender, curved,
filiform side-lobes.
Flowers, July to August.
Locality. At elevations of 4,000-10,000 ft.
Distribution. From Kashmir to Kumaon, Nepal, Sikkim,
Bhutan, Khasia and Naga Hills, Tenasserim, China, Japan,
Java and Timor.
Herminium congestion,
Lindl.
(Congestum means brought together, heaped up, alluding to the mass
of flowers on the spikes.)
A terrestrial herb, 4-8 in. high. Tuber almost globose,
hairy. Lower portion of stem clothed with 1 or 2 short wide
sheaths. Leaves 2 or 3, near the base of the stem, up to 4 in.
long, narrowly oblong-elliptic or inversely lance-shaped.
Spike
rather narrow, up to 4 in. long, many- and dense -flowered.
Flowers green, very small, bent down. Floral bract eggshaped,
sharp-pointed, much shorter than the beaked ovary.
Sepals almost equal, blunt, the dorsal broadly egg-shaped,
lateral pair narrower, slightly spreading, oblong. Petals a
little longer than the sepals, obliquely lance-shaped. Lip
longer than the sepals, fleshy, triangularly egg-lance-shaped,
blunt ;
side lobes very narrow, finely scalloped, terminal lobe
entire ; spur sack-shaped, almost globose.
Flowers. July, August.
Locality. Baltistan.
Distribution. From Kashmir to Kumaon, 8,000-9,000 ft.,
Nepal, Sikkim, Aleutian Islands.
Herminium pugioniforme, Lindl.
(Pugioniforme means dagger- shaped, referring to the front portion
of the lip.)
A terrestrial herb, 2-7 in. high. Tuber small, globose. Stem
with 1 or 2 loose sheaths at the base. Leaf solitary, almost
at the base of the stem, 1-2J in. long, oblong to linear-lanceshaped.
Flowering stem naked, firm and rather stout towards