Eriochilus
(from erion, wool, and cheilos, a lip; referring to the disk of the labellum or lip being pubescent). ORD. Orchideae. A genus of five species of pretty greenhouse terrestrial Orchids, from Australia. They thrive in a compost of light turfy loam, peat, and sand, in equal proportions, and may be increased by division of the roots.
E. autumnalis (autumnal). fl. pink, solitary, or two or three rather distant; labellum about half as long as the lateral sepals, with an erect, concave, narrow claw. October. l. radical, ovate, acute, usually dying away before the time of flowering. h. 6in. 1823. A slender plant. SYN. Epipactis cucullata. (H. F. T. 120.) E. dilatatus (dilated). fl. resembling those of E. autumnalis, one or two, rarely three; lip much shorter, the claw erect, with slightly prominent rounded lateral lobes. May. l. linear-lanceolate, sessile, and stem-clasping. h. 6in. to 12in. There are one or two varieties of this species. E. multiflorus (many-flowered). This closely resembles E. dilatatus, of which it is probably only a variety. The habit and foliage are the same, but the flowers are more numerous and rather smaller. March. E. scaber (rough). fl. pink one to three; sepals and petals rather shorter and broader than in E. autumnalis, but otherwise with the same proportions; labellum claw distinctly produced into small, erect, rounded lateral lobes. September. l. radical, ovate or cordate, usually persisting at the base of the flowering stem. Closely allied to E. autumnalis.