78 



68. P. aphthosa (Lindl. in Bot. Keg. 1838. misc. 71. P. peduncular is, 

 Hooker, Journ. Bot. III. t. 9.) ; folio ovali coriaceo subtus cliscolore cauli 

 carinato triquetro sequali, spatha bivalvi pauciflora, floribus subsessilibus 

 tomentosis carnosis fragilibus, sepalis oblongis convexis subsequalibus 

 intus papillosis lateralibus basi connatis, petalis ovatis acutis glabris 

 subdiaphanis, labello ovato carnoso obtuso antice papilloso basi excavato 



69 



urn iongitudine, clinandno cu9ullato crenulato. 

 Mexico. Its leaves are between three and four inches long, dull 



purple at the edge, and brighter underneath ; the flowers are dull yellow 



P. ophiocephala (Lindl. in Bot. Reg. 1838. misc. 48.) ; folio oblongo 



emarginato concavo carnoso caule breviore, flore solitario e spatha dup- 



lici membranacea carinata erumpente, sepalis oblongis obtusis hiantibus 



intus papillosis extus pubescentibus inferiore latiore emarginato, petalis 



lineari-oblongis intus villosis labello duplo minore lineari-ovato obtuso 



carnoso glabro canaliculato marginibus elevatis truncatis. Mexico. 



It has one solitary flower protruding from the base of the leaf, and 



so similar to the head of a snake with the jaws open, that it is difficult 



at first sight to believe it really a flower that one looks upon. To add 



to the deception, the small labellum is shaped like a tongue, and moves 



up and down. The stem is strong, terete, six inches long, with one 



long striated brown sheath in the middle ; the leaf is remarkably thick 



and fleshy, and above four inches long ; the flower is dull yellowish 



brown, spotted with dull purple, and nearly three-quarters of an inch 

 long. 



## 



Laves ; a, labello lineari v. oblongo 



dm 



longo-lanceolato caudato apice tridentato, pedunculis unifloris fascicu- 

 latis, sepalo supremo ventricoso acuminato lateralibus in unum connatis 

 recurvis triplo latiore, petalis lineari-lanceolatis hispido-ciliatis, labello 

 breviore unguiculato subrotundo carnoso eiliato supra unguem excavato. 



Peru. Leaf from four to five inches long, and from one and a 



nun to three-quarters of an inch in breadth. 



71 . P. octomerioides (Lindl. in Comp. to Bot. Mag. 2.); folio oblongo-lanceolato 

 subemarginato caule (pedali) duplo breviore, floribus fasciculatis, sepalis 

 liberis carnosis obtusis, petalis sequilongis lineari-lanceolatis carnosis ob- 

 tusis, labello minimo ovato canaliculato integerrimo glabro. Mexico. 



A tall species, very much like an Octomeria. 



72. P . frayilis (Lindl. in Bot. Reg. 1841. misc. 188.) ; folio ovato-oblongo 

 piano carnoso caule compresso canaliculato duplo breviore, pedunculis 

 aggregatis brevibus (2-floris) folio adpressis, floribus carnosis fragilibus 

 glabemmis, sepalis lateralibus ad apicem usque cohserentibus supremo 

 lineari recto, petalis cuneatis apiculatis columnar apice denticulate? sub- 

 requahbus, labello lineari apice rotundato basi utrinque paululum dilatato 



et denticulato superficie laevigata. Brazil. This little plant has 



the habit of P. prohfera ; but its leaves are flat, not folded together, and 

 it is not proliferous. The flowers are bright orange -yellow, and very 

 brittle, like wax ; with a double row of minute purple dots along the 

 middle of the labellum. * v 



73. P. circumplexa (Lindl. in Bot. Reg. 1838. misc. 27.) ; folio coriaceo 

 ovato emarginato in petiolum carinatum canaliculatum ipsi eequalem 

 angustato, caule subnullo, pedunculo basi folii immerso et circumplexo, 



k 



*+ 





