Tab. 6936. • 

 PLEUROTHALLIS insignis. 

 Native of Caraccas ? 



Nat. Ord. Oechidace^e. — Tribe Epidendbe.e. 

 Genus Pleubothallis, Br.; {Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. PI. vol. iii. p. 488.) 



PleubothaELIS (Acuminatce) insignis ; folio lineari-oblongo obtuso basi angustato 

 crasse coviaceo, scapo 2-fioro, sepalis 2 e basi ovato-oblonga concava in caudas 

 longissimas angustatis inferiore 4- superiore 3-nervi, petalis e basi parva oblonga- 

 apice biloba cauda filiformi sepalis sequilonga instructis, labello trilobo, lobis 

 lateralibus falcato-inourvis obtusis hyalinis, iuterjnedio lineari-oblongo brunneo- 

 purpureo apice barbato dimidio brevioribus. 



P. insignis, Molfe in Gard. Chron. Ser. 3, vol. i. p. 477. 



P. giossopogon, Nicholson in Gard. Chron. vol. i. p. 283, not of Bchb.f. 



A very near ally of P. giossopogon, Rchb. f ., and at first 

 sight it resembles a gigantic form of that plant; but 

 besides the difference in size, which is more than double, 

 P. insignis wants the pubescence on the sepals, which is 

 even described by Lindley as velvetiness, though puberulous 

 appears a better suited term. Other characters are that 

 the leaf of P. giossopogon is described as narrowed at both 

 ends, the lip is narrower in proportion, and has three lines 

 of papillae. On the other hand the forms of the sepals, 

 petals, and lip are almost identical, and it is more than 

 probable, in my opinion, that intermediates between these 

 two species will be found to unite them. 



The native country of P. insignis is not recorded, but it 

 may with much confidence be predicted to be Venezuela 

 P. giossopogon, biserrula and Swine being all indigenous to 

 the Caraccas province of that country, at elevations of about 

 7000 feet. All, as Lindley remarks, are remarkable for 

 their large dull-coloured flowers, long sepals and weak 

 bristle-like petals. 



The plant figured was received from Messrs. Veitch in 

 1884, under the name of P. giossopogon ; it flowered in the 

 Cool Orchid House in the month of February of this year. 



Desce. Stems tufted. Leaf three-quarters by one inch, 



max 1st, 1887. 



