17 



EPIDENDRUM nutans. 



Nodding Epidendrum. 



GYNANDllIA MONANDRIA. 



EPIDENDRUM. Cal 0. Cor. Pet. 5, oblonga, patentia. 1m~ 

 helium basi ecorne, tubulatum, colunmam amplectens, lamina erecta, 



patula. Columna germini teretiusculo infero imposita, gibba, ipice su- 

 pra foveam adtigens Antheram 2-4-locularem, ningulo loculo includen- 

 tern Corpuscu/a pollinis 1-4, pedicel lo communi antice inserto, affixa. 

 Stig. ante foveam Antherae, concavum. Caps, oblonga, 3-gona, 1-locu- 

 laris, 3-valvis. Sem. numerosa, minutissima, subiotunda; Arillo scobi- 

 formi induta. Szcartz. FL ind. occid. 3. 148a. Herbal perenncs, pa- 

 rasiticrv. 



K. nutans, caule simplici, foliis ovato-lanceolatis amplexicaulibus, flori- 

 bus subspicatis mitanlibus, lamina labelli triloba, lobo intermedio tri- 



dentato. 



fr 



1499. Willd. sp. pi. 4. 1 17. Hart. Kezo. ed. 2. 5. 219- 



Radices crasscc, fliformcs, lonvce, albidce. Caulis (nunc plures aggregate) 

 1-2 pedalis, crassus, simplex, foliosus, subteres, suberectus, s. arboribus hori- 

 zontal! situ adnascens. Folia sessilia, vaginantia, amplcxicaulia, alterna, 

 oblique patula, ovato-lanceolata, acuta, plana, subtus levissime carinata, Inte- 

 gra, lineata, glabra, subcoriacea. Vaginae foliorum caulem arete cingentes, 

 teretes, lineatce, glabrcc, rubicundce. Pedunc. terminalis, solitarius, longi- 

 tudine fere foliorum (spithamceus), compressiusculus, vaginis aliquot remotU 

 lanceolatis albido-purpurascentibus munitus, glaber. Flores terminales, sub- 

 spicati, approximati, 20-30, sessiles, majusculi, lutei, spicam nut ant em re- 

 ferentes. Bractese lanceolato-lineares, carinatce, longit. scepe germinis, pal- 

 lida. Pet. 5, isometra, patula : 3 exter. ovato-lanceolata, acuta, lateral/a, 

 subfalcata, planiuscula, Integra, elevato-striata, extiis luteo-rufescentia : 2 

 inter, lineari-acuminata. Labellum columnce basi adnatum, amplectens. La- 

 mina horizontaliter dejlexa, 3-loba ; lobis lateralibus ovatis, intrgris, con- 



mc 



deflexo. Calli 2 prope faucem, unde ad apicem lobi intermedii sulci 3 ekvati. 

 Columna labello brcvior, erecta, teres, apice dilatata, marginibus bifofm. 

 Anth. 4 he. in fovea apicis columnce, corpuscula solitaria oblonga, pedicel- 

 lata tegens. Caps, oblonga, 6-carinata, magna. Svvartz. 



Native of the mountains of the western side of the Island 

 of Jamaica, where it grows (as the generic name implies) 

 on trees, striking root in the fissures of their bark. First 

 brought to England by Admiral Bligh, in 1793. 



The cultivation of tropical parasitic vegetables was loi 

 regarded as hopeless with us ; it appeared a vain attempt to 

 find substitutes for the various trees each species might 

 affect, within the limits of the hot- house. But experience 



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