



Pl-ATE XXXII. 



SACCOLABJUM COMPRESSUM. 



S. compression ; caulc junior© compresso ancipiU, foliis disticliis amplexicaulibus 

 undulatia obtusu obliqud 3-drutatis, roccmia cyluidmceis poudulia, labclli cnl- 

 c«rc fiilcalo obuiso eepalix Iripld longioro lamina carnosfi minima dentiformi. 



Saccolabhun compressum. Botanical Iteaister/or 1840, miscellaneous mailer, no. 5. 





TIw foliage of this plant is very handsome, when in health, and readily diMingiiishes it from 

 all it- kindred, not only by tin* tender bloom with which it i* covered, lint by the broad thin undu- 

 lated leave*, whose base is so wrapped round the stem a* to form something like ear* on each wide. 



Tim* ilowcr*. though individually small, nevertheless have a graceful and [irctty appearance 

 from their drooping |>o*iiion, from their uumbor*, and from the strong contrast between their ivory 

 white spur and the party-coloured lobe* of which they others tsa consist 



It was sent from Manilla by Mr. Iln-rh Cuming to Messrs. Loddigc-*. with whom it flowered 

 in Novcmlwr, IS30. 



The stem when old is round and hard, and pushes forth numerous long greenish-white powerful 

 root*, by "Inch the plant clings to the branches of tree* ; when young it U compressed, and, in 

 COnai jinnee of tbc manner in which (In* ba.Ms of lite leaves nre rolled round it. appears quite tliin 

 mid two-elided. The u;ivii.h nre from six to ten inelu* loti<r. >en^reen, broad, Mrnp^hnped. very 

 wavy* obtuse, and very obliquely and unequally three- toothed at (he cud ; at the base they surround 

 tin* stem, nnd uniting bv their uinririii* torui a *hort l 1 h iprrs m J sheath, through which the raceme* 

 pierce when thev make their appcaranee * alihough not placed n-gularlv in two lines, ihe leaves have 

 very much a distichous arrangement. The FlOWCRi are mull and ftcetttli *|» arranged in long pendu- 

 lous LUCBHBSp which have about three, distant, ovate, acute, sheathing brown scale* near their base; 

 including the spur the flowers when uncxpanded arc something more than half an inch long, which 

 is about the length of the very slender pedicels on which they are supported. The sepals are oblong, 

 rather acute, and spotted with crimson upon a ground at fust white, but afterwards yellow ; the two 

 at the side* converge round the labellum till their points touch ; that at the hack forms an arch over 

 the column, and is very promim-ni at the back. The PBTAlB are similar in form, size, and colour to 

 the *cpiils, hut thev are somewhat thinner aud spread at right angles from the column* The LABBftAUM 

 ehieilv conjtfti of a long, hollow, falcate, obtuse, pendulous spur, which is perfectly free from all 

 apitcodagC OT projection in the. inside ; its rim is nearly circular, obsolete!}* three- lobed. the side lobes 

 being rounded, that in front more acute and Jlcshy. The COLUMN i* very* short, wingless. lengthened 

 «vrr ihe tfigma into a narrow nwl -shaped process (rosiellum), to which the pollen -masses adhere by 

 means of a long, ascending, slender, subulate, channelled eaudieula, and a minute gland. The 

 iNNtK.it i- rounded, rather rugged, extended in front into a long awl-shaped beak, which turns 

 upwards, following the course of the rostclhim. The roLixs -masses me two, obovuto, slightly split 



at the back. 



Fig- I. represent* a flower seen in front, the spur being Cut away : 2. is a fide view of the 

 column* and the rim of the labellum > S. an* the pollen-masses with their eaudieula ami gland. 







I i\ 



