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Eria (From erion wool the leaves)

(from erion, wool; the leaves of some of the species are downy). SYN. Pinalia. Including Porpax (of Lindley). ORD. Orchideae. A genus of about 120 species of stove epiphytal Orchids, natives of India, South China, and the Malay Archipelago. They are allied to Stanhopea. Flowers solitary or racemose, lateral or apparently terminal on the leafy stems or pseudo-bulbs; column short, produced at the base in a foot. Leaves variable. Few of the species are grown, being generally more curious than pretty. For culture, see Stanhopea. E. clavicaulis (club-stemmed). fl. white; lip bordered with pink. India, 1837. E. convallarioides (Convallaria-like). fl. white, small; racemes dense, oblong, drooping, on short peduncles. August. l. oblong-lanceolate. Stems compressed, densely and loosely sheathed. India, Nepaul, 1839. (B. R. 1841, 62.) E. extinctoria (extinguisher-spurred). fl. solitary, 1/2in. to 2/3in. long; posterior sepal ovate, acute, white, or tinged with rose; lateral sepals obliquely ovate, acute, equalling the posterior sepal, produced below and adnate to the column, forming an extinguisher-like, obtuse or retuse, slightly curved, greenish-tipped spur; lateral petals oblong or oblanceolate, nearly equalling the sepals, white or faint blush; labellum narrowed below into a distinct claw, with three sub-prominent, papillose, longitudinal ridges, more or less orange below, and on the median line, transversely blotched with rose-purple above. Birma, 1871. A very remarkable leafless species. (B. M. 5910.) E. floribunda (bundle-flowered). fl. white, or tinged with red, small, but very numerous, in pendulous racemes, not unfrequently 8in. to 10in. long. Summer. l. lanceolate-acuminate. Stems fleshy, rather flexuous, terete. Singapore, Borneo, 1842. (B. R. 1844, 20.) E. myristicaeformis (Nutmeg-bulbed). fl. white, medium size, sweet-scented; racemes erect, shorter than the leaves; bracts about as long as the pedicel, oblong, acuminate, white, reflexed; labellum forming a spur at its union with the produced base of the column, three-lobed; disk bearing two orange-coloured glands. September. l. two, lanceolate-spathulate. Pseudo-bulbs aggregated, oblong, green; the old bulbs remain, and partake much of the shape of nutmegs (whence the specific name). Moulmein, 1863. (B. M. 5415.) E. obesa (fat). fl. white, scarcely tinged with pale pink, very much resembling those of Dendrobium; racemes arising from the leafless pseudo-bulbs, 3in. to 4in. long; labellum oblong, obscurely three-lobed. February. l. two, terminal. Pseudo-bulbs oblong-oval, tapering at each end, 2in. to 3in. long and 1in. broad in the thickest part. Malayan Peninsula, 1863. (B. M. 5391.) E. stellata (star-bearing). fl. yellowish-red, stellate, in a long curved raceme, 1ft. to 1 1/4ft. long, fragrant; perianth pale yellow-green; sepals and petals nearly equal, linear-lanceolate, spreading; lip lanceolate, three-lobed, almost parallel with the column. April. l. two, broadly-lanceolate, marked with five longitudinal ribs. h. 2ft. Java (?), 1837. A very desirable plant. (B. M. 3605.) E. vestita (clothed). fl. reddish-brown without, white within, medium size; racemes long, pendulous, flexuous. l. coriaceous, lanceolate. Indian Archipelago, 1869. SYN. Dendrobium vestitum. (B. M. 5807.)