Plate XVIII. 



DEXDROBIUM CCERULESCENS. 



D. r«rw/e^ce/w; caulecrecto airnoso lercti, foliis oblongis nbtusis cmnrgnmtis sufauu- 

 dulntis, raccmis Iiorizonttilibus 2-3-lloris fuliis paulti brevioribuis pcriuutluu 

 explanatoj sepnli** lineuri-obloiigis obtusis cinarginatis Intcralibus basi paulo 

 product!^ |>ctalis Intioribtis oblongis apice recurvis, labetlo ovali subundulntn 

 utrinqiic pnbcsronte apice conslricto piano glabro recurvu, antliera pubescente. 



IX crcrulcsccns, IVallich M$9. 



The species now represented has altogether (he habit of Dcndrobium nubile; when out of 

 flower it so much resemble* that species that it maybe supposed to bo the name. In this resneet 

 it accord* wilh several others of the genus, such as the Dcndrobin Pierardi, cucullatnm. And 

 macrostachyum, which can scarcely be distinguished by their foliage. When in flower it i* 

 strikingly different from Dcndrobium nobile; perhaps it is* noi quite so handsome, for it wants the 

 very rich purple of that specie*: but in other respects it has beautiful feature* of its own- 

 The sepals and petals have a delicate lingo of very pale bluish lilac, especially on their hack, and 

 their form is more slender and graceful. Specific differences between the two are furnished by the 

 shape of the lip and scjuds. both of which are much narrower than in Dendrobium nobilc, and the 

 former has quite a different outline, as will he obvious upon comparison of the accompanying 

 figure, ami that at plate 3 of this work. 



It was collected for His Grace the Duke uf Devonshire, by Mr John Gibson, at KuDgklOw, on 

 the aOrbWn faeeof thoKhoscea range of hills, where it grows upon rocks and trunks of trees, at an 

 elevation of not less than 4000 feet* The specimen now figured is Millicicntly beautiful wilh onlv 

 ten flowers upon it ; but Mr. Gil»on states that he bund il loaded with from thirty to forty flower* 

 on a stein. The accompanying plate has been prepared from a drawing and specimens sent hv 

 Mr. Paxton from Chaisworth. where it blossomed in April 1838. 



The SEPALS, which spread nearly at equal angles from each other, arc about an inch and half 

 long, und « quarter of an inch wide ; they are of a delicate bluish lilac colour, tinged with 

 deeper purple at their cuds, and slightly pitted all over between the veins so as to acquire a 

 tomcwhtt tessellated appearance ; they arc all notched at the apex, ami the lateral ones arc slichtlv 

 extended on one side into a short blunt spur. The petal* are coloured like the sepal*, except (hat 

 they are rather darker, and less tessellated; they arc oval, not cinurginate. but undulated ami 

 carved back at their end* The lip is very exactly oval and concave, except that it is extended 

 into a narrow Hat obtuse point, which is curved downwards ; its sides arc rolled round the column 

 \\\ the buMf ami then curved outwards and undulated . it is rich crimson in the middle, yellow at 

 the edge, deep rose colour at the apex, and is covered with conspicuous pubescence every where 

 except at the point ; a* the flowers fade, the yellow changes to brownish purple, and becomes marked 

 with purple veins. The column is very short, flat, and sloped forwards in front, convex at tin- 

 back ; it is terminated by a peaked, purple, hairy anther 



Pig. L represents the column and anther, with the bases of the sepals and petals, the lip beiiitr 

 removed. Pig. 2. is the lip unrolled, rather magnified, ami seen from above. 





