56 



MORMODES aromaticum. 

 Aromatic Mormodes. 



GYNANDRIA MONANDRIA. 

 Nat. ord. Orchidace.e, § Vanbe^e — Catasetid^e. 

 MORMODES. Botanical Register, vol. 22. fol. 1861 



M. aromaticum ; racemo brevi erecto, sepalis petalisque subrotundo-ovatis 

 acutis secundis concavis, labello anguste cuneato convexo lacinia inter- 

 media triangulari acuminata cucullata. Lindl. in Bot. Reg. 1841. 

 misc. 162. 



We have so recently (t. 33.) made some general obser- 

 vations upon the genus Mormodes, that we have nothing 

 further to do on the present occasion than to give a figure of 

 this plant, and to point out in what respect it differs from 

 M. pardinum, the only species to which it approaches closely. 



In habit the two are similar, but M. aromaticum is the 

 smaller, and has shorter leaves. The spike of M. pardinum is 

 much longer and bears three times as many flowers; the sepals 

 and petals are narrower, and more taper-pointed : their dif- 

 ference in colour is obvious; the labellum of M. pardinum has 

 the same form as the sepals, except that it has three sharp- 

 pointed lobes, and a kind of stalk, which M. aromaticum wants. 



This species, although only introduced a few years since 

 from Mexico, is now common, and although of little beauty, 

 is valued for the peculiar fragrance, which is like that of aro- 

 matic vinegar. 



Fig. 1. represents the labellum. 



