rab. OS17, 
DENDROBIUM Puatavorsis. 
. Native of Northern Australia and New Guinea. 
Nat. Ord. OncHiprEm.—Tribe ErrpENDRER. 
Genus Denprosium, Sw. ; (Benth. et Hook. f. Gen, Pl. vol. iii. p. 498.) 
Dernprozium Phalenopsis ; caulibus elongatis fasciculatis subcylindraceis sulcatis 
vaginis appressis pallidis tectis, foliis distichis sessilibus lanceolatis acuminatis 
luride viridibus, racemis axillaribus pendulis laxe 6-10-floris, sepalis ovato- 
lanceolatis acuminatis pallidis nervis reticulatis, petalis sepalis multo majoribus 
patentibus rhombeo-rotundatis acutis basi contractis roseis venosis, labelli 
sanguineo-purpurei lobis lateralibus rotundatis incurvis intermedio lingueformi 
oblongo apiculato basin versus 5-7-carinato carinis rugulosis, calcare recto 
obtuso basi inferne in sacculum subhemisphericum dilatato, columna brevi ima 
basi 2-callosa. 
D. Phalenopsis, Fitzgerald in Gard. Chron. N.S. vol. xiv. (July, 1883), p. 38, 
and Austral Orchids, vol. i. cum Ic. pict. 
Mr. Fitzgerald, who regards this as the finest of Australian 
Orchids, has given a good figure of it in his great work on 
the Australian plants of this family, which is a solitary 
example of an illustrated botanical publication of a high 
order of merit emanating from a British colony. This 
author rightly regards it as closely allied to D. bigibbum, 
Lindl., swperbiens, Reichb., and Goldiei, all natives of the 
same botanical region. Of these, D. bigibbum is figured at 
Plate 4898 of this work; it is evidently a near relation, but 
quite distinct in its much smaller size, fewer much broader _ 
more uniformly deep rose-coloured flowers, shorter crested 
lip, simple saccate spur and longer column. Of D. 
superbiens there are figures in the ‘‘ Gardners’ Chronicle,’ 
N. &., vol. ix. p. 40, fig. 9, and in the “ Floral Magazine,”’ 
which represents a plant very like D. Phalenopsis, but with 
a longer raceme of more numerous flowers. D. Goldiei again 
is figured in “ The Garden” for 1878; it has dark rose-red 
flowers, like those of D. bigibbum, and racemes like those 
of D. superbiens. There is still another species of the 
‘same group and country, D. Sumneri, F. Muell., with which 
May Ist, 1885, : 
