ERIA (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. ERIA bigibba (twice-gibbous). fl, sepals and petals light reddish, lanceolate, the sepals with green median nerves; lip whitish, with small, purple dashes at base, transversely trifid, the antrorse lateral laciniae separated from the semi-ovate, obtuse middle one by a narrow isthmus; column yellowish-white, purple at the base inside; anther with two purple tumours at the top. l. long, petiolate, on a tumid, cylindraceous foot. Borneo, 1884. ERIA clavicaulis (club-stemmed). fl. white; lip bordered with pink. India, 1837. ERIA 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.) ERIA Elwesii (Elwes'). fl. light brown, small; outer perigone connate, three-toothed; petals rhomboid; lip oblong, retuse, with two rounded lobes at base. l. nearly 1in. long, stalked, oblong, acute. Pseudo-bulbs depressed, covered with fibrous sheaths. 1885. A tiny plant. ERIA 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.) ERIA 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.) ERIA Fordii (Ford's). fl., sepals light yellowish-green, 1in. long, lanceolate, acute, keeled at back; petals yellowish-green, ovate-lanceolate, sub-acute; lip deep, dull yellow, veined crimson, narrow-oblong, obtuse, apiculate, with small, rounded, lateral lobes and three blunt keels on the lower half; racemes terminal, two or three-flowered. l. linear-lanceolate, acute, 8in. to 9in. long, 1 1/2in. to 1 3/4in. broad, leathery. Pseudo-bulbs ovoid, some-what compressed, smooth. Hong Kong, 1886. ERIA lineoligera (line-bearing). fl. white, very thin; sepals and petals lanceolate, acute, curved; chin moderate; lip cuneate-dilated, trifid, the side laciniae triangular, curved, very short, the middle one projecting, triangular, apiculate, crenulate, undulated, with purple lines on each side; raceme nearly basilar, ascending, with orange bracts. l. four, rather thick, cuneate-oblong-lanceolate. Pseudo-bulbs fusiform. Siam, 1885. ERIA monostachya (one-spiked). fl., sepals and petals greenish-yellow; lip having a very small anterior lacinia, and two angular calli between the sinuses between the lateral and anterior laciniae; inflorescensce simple. Java, 1885. ERIA muscicola (Moss-growing). fl. yellowish-green, very small, racemose. l. about 1/3in. long. Pseudo-bulbs racemose. Ceylon, 1887. An insignificant species. ERIA 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.) ERIA 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.) ERIA rhodoptera (red-winged). fl., sepals whitish-ochre, as well as the pedicels, ovaries, and bracts; petals purple, ligulate, subfalcate, broad; lip trifid, the lateral segments purple, semi-oblong, produced, the middle one ligulate, retuse, emarginate; raceme elongated. l. linear-ligulate, acute. Stems cylindrical. 1882. ERIA Rimanni (Riman's). fl. of a pellucid, pale yellow, the front lobe of the lip golden-yellow, with two purple spots; raceme nodding, dense, covered with a few reddish hairs. l. cuneate-oblong, acute, very leathery, light green, with dark nerves. Pseudo-bulbs pyriform, about 3in. long. Birma, 1885. ERIA 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.) ERIA striolata (slightly striated). fl., sepals and petals light ochrecolured, linear-ligulate, acute, the former marked with three stripes and the latter with one stripe of reddish-purple; lip ligulate, with very blunt side lobes, and three conspicuous, partly crenulate, yellow keels; raceme dense-flowered, the rachis only slightly hairy. l. cuneate-oblong, acute, very fleshy. Papuan Islands, 1888. (I. H. 1888, 48.) ERIA 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.)