22 



CYCNOCHES pentadactylon. 

 Five-fingered Swan-neck. 



GYNANDRIA MONANDRIA. 

 Nat. ord. Orchidaceae § Vande^e. 

 CYCNOCHES. Botanical Register, vol. 21. fol. 1742. 



C. pentadactylon ; racemo brevi stricto, sepalis petalisque lanceolatis reflexis 

 supremo incurvo, labelli unguiculati margine revoluto dorso adnata, hy- 

 pochilio cornu recto incurvo aucto, metachilio 4-lobo medio foveato la- 

 ciniis 2 posticis obtusis carnosis incurvis anticis subulatis, epichilio lin- 

 guiformi acuto laevi. Supra misc. no. 26. 



The fleshy-stemmed Orchidaceae, consisting of Catase- 

 tum, Cycnoches, Mormodes, and Cyrtopodium, probably form 

 a group (Catasetidse), among which we find the most astonish- 

 ing deviations from ordinary structure, and the most startling 

 variations from what appears to be the rule in other parts of 

 the organic world. If we were informed that the Camelopard 

 in the Zoological Gardens had shortened the vertebrae of its 

 neck till it was no longer than a cow's, or that a Kangaroo 

 had exchanged its tail for the switch of a Shetland pony, a 

 more surprising thing would not be announced than those 

 changes with which we are now familiar in this group of 

 Orchidaceae. 



How Myanthus, Monachanthus, and Catasetum have been 

 seen to change into each other has been already told in this 

 work, (Vol. 23, t. 1951.) An instance is also mentioned at 

 the same place, of Cycnoches Loddigesii having been caught 

 in the very act of playing similar tricks ; and with the forth- 

 coming number of Mr. Bateman's Orchidaceae of Mexico and 

 Guatemala, a yet more startling case will be recorded. 



All these things are here mentioned for the sake of shew- 

 ing now difficult it is in such plants to judge correctly as to 

 what may be a species and what a sport. Influenced by these 



