C 4090 ) 



L/ELIA SUPERBIENS. GORGEOUS LaLIA. 



Class and Order. 

 Gynandria Monandria. 



( Nat. Ord. — Orchide^. ) 



Generic Character. 



Sepala explanata, lanceolata, aequalia. Petala majora, 

 paulo difformia, carnosa, explanata. Labellum posticum, 

 3-partitum, lamellatum, circa columnam convolutum. Co- 

 lumna aptera, carnosa, antice canaliculata. Anthera — . 

 Pollinia 8, caudiculis quatuor elasticis. — Herbae epiphyta, 

 rhizomate pseudo-bolbophoro. Folia carnosa. Scapi termi- 

 nates, pauci- vel multiflori. Flores speciosi, odorati. Lindl. 



Specific Character and Synonyms. 



L^lia superbiens; scapo longissimo multifloro, sepalis pe- 

 talisque lineari-oblongis obtusis rnembranaceis labello 

 longioribus, labelli lobo medio obtusissimo, disco la- 

 mellis quinque maximis subserratis antice truncatis 

 aucto, antherae crista biaurita, clinandrio denticulato. 



LmiA superbiens. Lindl. Bot. Reg. Misc. 1840, n. 87, et 

 sub Tab. 62, 1842. Batem. Orch. Guatem. and Mex. 

 t. 38. 



Almost the last plate of Mr. Batem an's splendid work on 

 the Orchidace,e, is devoted to the representation of this 

 I^elia, which, of all gorgeous plants, best deserves the 

 name of superbiens. It was one of Mr. Skinner's many 

 valuable discoveries among the cooler districts of Guate- 

 mala, and the following account of it is given. 'I first 

 found," says Mr. Skinner, " the L^blia superbiens in the 

 village of Surupango, planted by the Indians in front of 

 their doors. This was in 1839; afterwards (in November, 

 1840,) I went in search of its true habitat, and after an 

 excursion of three days, detected it in the barrancas (or gui- 

 des) of Sachmarachon, near the town of Comalapa, about 



twenty 



vol. xvn. I 



