Notes upon Burlingtonia candida, fol. 1927. 
Since the appearance of the last number of this work, I 
have been favoured by the following memorandum from 
Mr. Bateman: — 
“ The plant to which you formerly gave the name of Rodriguesia 
Batemanni, and which you now call * Burlingtonia candida,’ is a native 
of Demerara, from whence it was sent to me in 1834 by Mr. Colley, and 
it is, I think, without exception, the most beautiful new species that has 
hitherto made its appearance amongst his collections. 
“ It produces its flower-spikes freely, twice every year, and their large 
blossoms, suspended over the margin of the pot in which the plant grows, 
have a singularly delicate effect, resembling nothing so much as white 
satin trimmed with gold. 
“ While at Vienna last year, I was shewn, by the kindness of 
M. Endlicher, some of the drawings belonging to his and Dr. Peppig's 
work on the plants of Peru; among the number was a species bearing so 
strong a resemblance to our present subject, that I did not hesitate to 
ponens it to be Rodriguesia Batemanni, and it was accordingly pub- 
ished by those gentlemen under that name in their admirable * Genera et 
Species Plantarum. I have now before me, through the liberality of 
Dr. Peppig, wild specimens gathered in Maynas by that intrepid tra- 
veller, and on comparing these with specimens of the Demerara species 
produced in my stove, I am satisfied that I erred in supposing them to be 
the same. The following ‘are among the more prominent differences. Dr. 
Poppig's Rodriguesia Batemanni (now Burlingtonia rubescens) has stiff, up- 
right many-flowered spikes; B. candida few 
ones. The flowers of the latter are nearly twice the size of those of the former, 
and streaked with gold instead of being spotted with red. The column 
of B. candida is nearly half the length of the lip; while in B. rubescens 
it is not one-third. In B. rubescens, too, there is a sort of tooth placed 
on the under side, at the extremity of the lip, which is wholly wanting in 
B. candida.” 
To this 1 would add, that it must have been difficult 
for the most experienced Botanist to have distinguished 
Burlingtonia rubescens from B. candida, under the circum- 
stances by which alone Mr. Bateman could compare them. 
They are very similar in appearance: no one could have 
anticipated that so many beautiful species, distinct as they 
nevertheless are from each other, would 
discovered to form a new genus; and only an actual 
comparison of specimens could have shewn that the Rodri- 
pen Batemanni of Póppig and Endlicher was distinct 
0 
m Burlingtonia candida, to which I once applied the 
former name. 
-flowered, entirely pendulous. 
have been suddenly | 
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