spike, and send it to you; some of the flowers are, I hope, yet 
in a state of sufficient preservation to enable you to determine 
its species. Mrs.’ Ellis has also made a coloured drawing of 
some of the flowers, and a sketch of the whole plant.” Such is 
the first notice of this fine plant on its blossoming in Mr. Ellis’s 
Orchideous house ; and from the spike there mentioned, aided by 
the very beautiful drawing of Mrs. Ellis, the accompanying plate 
has been executed ; the dissections are by Mrs. Crease; and I 
am indebted to Dr. Lindley for the specific name and character 
and the following remarks :— 
“The genus Grammatophyllum is so nearly allied to Cymbi- 
dium that the two may possibly be united hereafter. They differ, 
however, first, in the presence of a sac at the base of both the 
column and lip; and, secondly, usually in the pollen-masses of 
Grammatophyllum being attached towards each extremity of a 
lunate gland. The first of these characters is the more impor- 
tant; the second can only be regarded as subordinate. It is in 
the first that the plant before us corresponds with Grammato- 
phyllum ; in the second it approaches Cymbidium. As to habit, 
the first of these two genera includes very dissimilar plants ; 
G. speciosum (see our Tab. 5157) being caulescent, this and G. 
multiflorum being pseudobulbous ; a circumstance exactly analo- 
gous to what occurs in the great genera Dendrobium, Hpiden- 
drum, Oncidium, etc. 
As a species, G. Eilisii is very distinctly characterized by its 
broad leaves, short petals, gibbous lateral sepals, and smooth lip, 
which has one stout median rib, separating at the isthmus into 
three short slender ridges. The anther is moreover crested with 
a small pedicellate tubercle. 
Fig. 1, 2. Oblique and front view of -a flower, with the sepals removed. 3. 
Labellum, laid open :—wat. size. 4. Front view of the column. - 5. Pollen- 
masses (one cut through transversely) :—magnijied. 
