Plate IX* 



CALANTHE BKEVJCORNU. 



Calanlhe brcvicornu. Genera $ Species of Orchid plants* p. 251 . 



As yel wo know little in the Gardens of the bCMly of tin* extensive Indian genus, tor neither 

 of the two species we possess is calculated to convey mi idea of the sinking appearance of tome 

 of the kinds. C. purpurea and Musticu have flowers of the most delicate lilac, in C. cmnrginatn 

 mid sylvatien (hey are large and purple, in C. speciosa orange-coloured, and in the species now 

 represented stained and neatly Striped with brownish red. 



C. brevicornu is a native of Nepal, where it was found by Dr. Wallich in the year 1821. From 

 a drawing executed under the direction of that celebrated Botanist, the accompanying figure, ha* 

 been prepared by permission of the Honourable Court of Directors of the East India Company. 



It varies in height from nine inches to one foot and a half, and produces broad, deep green, 

 smooth, plaited leaves, winch gradually taper off into a sheathing foliaceous stalk, surrounds! 

 externally by several sheathing scales. The scapk is about the same height as the leaves, smooth, 

 round, mid with a few distant scales. The fiowbrs arc racemose and generally arranged on one 

 side of the scape, and are subtended by i>vnte-huiecolnte. slightly downy bracts, rather longer than 

 the pedicels- The ovary is taper, elavate. and downy. The skimls and petals are linear-lanceolate, 

 spreading, nearly equal, striped with bright light red. The labellum, which is three-lobe J, is not 

 very much united with the column, and has a very short smooth spur; its lateral lobes are acute, 

 and much smaller than ihe middle one. which is obovnte, and emarginate, with two deep vertical 

 plate*, running down the middle towards the spur, and concealing a third, which is smaller, but rather 

 longer ; its colour is white, with a few reddish spots at the base. The fruit j* mi oblong triangular 

 capsule, opening at the angles into three valves. 



Up to the present time we can scarcely be said to possess more than two G&lanthes in the 

 garden* of this country ; one the stately snow-white C. veratrifolia. and the other C. densiflora. Two 

 other* well worth obtaining have been imported into Flanders and Holland; with flowers and sketches 

 of which 1 was three year* ago favoured by M. Augtiste Mevhelynek, a distinguished collector of 

 rare plants at Ghent. I presume they are natives of Java* where many species exist, but they have 

 not been noticed by Dr. Blame. One of these called Ambiglottistlavn, but aoi the species so named by 

 the learned Botanist just mentioned, has large yellow flower* eoppcr-eoloured on the outside, on 

 which account it may be called Calantfw tricolor. The other resembles C. brevieornu in the size of 

 its flowers and its manner of growth, but has a snow-white labellum. and deep chocolate brown sepals 

 and petals ; the Belgian gardeners call it C. tricolor, but as it docs not appear how the name applies 

 1 lake the liberty of changing it to lhat of C. discolor. 



The following technical characters will enable botanists to recognise these two *itccics* 



C. bicotor; raccmo laxo pubescent t\ sepalis pculiscpie aculis. labelli trilobi coluimia* omnino 



oeereti lobis submqualibus : intcmedio cunc&to apiculato trilamcllato ba*i convcxo pubescence bicorni. 

 calcare acuto limbo dup!6 brcviore glabra. 



C. ttitcolor; raccmo laxo pubeseente, sepalis petulLsipie fteutis, labelli trilobi columnar omniuo 

 accreti basi pubescentis bilamellati lobo intennedto bitobo 3-carinatn, caleare pubesccnte acuto 

 limbo brcviore. 



