Eria excavata

Lindl. in Wall. Cat. 1974 (in part); leaves 4-6 narrow strongly nerved , scape shorter and spikes pubescent , bracts lanceolate , sepals 1/3 in. ovate –lanceolate , sepals 1/3 in. ovate –lanceolate falcate , petals 5-nerved , mentum 0, lip short sessile with 3 central crenate –ridges , side lobes basal ovate obtuse spreading , midlobe large suborbicular or obovate or transverse , column very short broad , foot deeply excavate . Hook f. Ic. Pl. t. 1846. Eria excavate, in part , Lindl. Gen . & Sp. Orchid . 67. Eria sphaerochils and Eria flava , var. rubida , Lindl . in . Journ . Linn. Soc. iii. 54 , 49 . Octomeria excavate , Wall . mss.

NEPAL , Wallich . Sikkim and KHASIA MTS ., alt . 4- 6000 ft. J.D. H.

Pseudobulbs 1-2 in., ovoid or subcylindric , never much elongate . Leaves 5-6 in ., sessile , rigid ,lanceolate . Spike few-fld .; very short pedicel with ovary ½ -2/3 in.; flowers white , lip yellow with pink side lobes and very strong purple nerves , base saccate.-The only species of this group with basal spreading side lobes of the lip . Wallich’s No. 1974 consists of flowering specimens of this , and flowerless of Eria confuse (which has not an excavate column ) ; but in the distributor of his Herbarium , Lindley received flowering specimens of confuse only , the character of the stem of which he introduced into that of excavata.