OF THE 
LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON. 
Coniributions to the Or idology of India.—No. II. 
By Professor LiNDLEY, F.R.S., F.L.S., &c. 
(Continued from vol. i. p. 190.) 
[Read March 4th, 1858.] 
DENDROBIUM, Swartz. 
Tuts great Indian genus varies extremely in the habit of its nu- 
merous species,—some being little larger than the mosses among 
which they grow, while others are surpassed in stature by few of 
the Order. Like the Oncidia of the New World, there are some 
species of which the foliage is ancipitous, others having it terete, 
while in the majority it is in the usual flat condition. A few have 
no other stem than a wiry creeping rhizome ; others have small 
conical pseudo-bulbs; many form clavate horny stems, leafy only 
at the summit; but the greater part produce long leafy branches. 
In the majority the colour of the flowers is some shade of purple ; 
а few are destitute of all colour except green; and a rather con- 
siderable group is especially distinguishable by the rich yellow 
tint of their blossoms. Of such distinctions advantage has been 
taken in the following sketch of the entire genus, now consisting 
of more than 200 species, of which I have examined the larger part. 
In this all the species agree, that there are only four pollen-masses, 
nearly equal in size, and of uniform breadth at either end. On the 
contrary, the Erias, which in some cases have been mistaken for 
Dendrobium, have the pollen-masses pyriform, so that sm: in the 
LINN. PROC,—BOTANY. 
SEEL AE T ee REAT К 
CSP ONS PES LIP E T: EROS RTI S T IS 
