Tas. 4203. 
PERISTERIA Barker. 
Mr. Barker's Peristeria or Dove-flower. 
Nat. Ord. Orncurpe®.—GyYNANDRIA MONANDRIA. 
Gen. Char. (Vide supra, Tab. 4156.) 
Perister1a Barkeri; pseudo-bulbis ovatis profunde sulcatis 3—4-phyllis, scapis 
pendulis multifloris foliis subzquantibus, floribus carnosis fere clausis, se- 
palis petalisque subeequalibus concavis obtusis, earpelli trilobi lobis latera- 
libus integris erectis, intermedio angustiore basi calloso, columna aptera 
breviter pubescente. Batem. 
PERISTERIA Barkeri. Batem. Orchid. Mexic. et Guatem. t. 8. 
The only figure yet given of this fine Orchideous plant is in 
Mr. Bateman’s splendid work above quoted : but admirable as is 
his representation, even an imperial folio page does not suffice to 
render justice to this species of Peristeria. Its leaves are two 
feet long and are erect, or nearly so, from the summit of a pseu- 
do-bulb which is from five to seven inches long. The scape 
emerges from the base of the pseudo-bulb and is pendent, thus 
adding a foot or a foot and a half to the space required to include 
a whole-length figure. It justly bears the name of Mr. Barker of 
Birmingham, whose collector, Mr. Ross, detected and introduced 
it to this country from the dark ravines with which the neighbour- 
hood of Xalapa, in Mexico, abounds. Like the other species of the 
genus it flowers rather freely and, as Mr. Bateman remarks, loves 
a powerful heat, plenty of water, and abundance of pot-room. 
Our plant flowered in Nov. 1843, in the Royal Gardens of Kew. 
Descr. This has very long pseudo-bulbs, which are broadly 
ovate, deeply furrowed, with the ridges wrinkled, of a dark green 
colour. Leaves, in our plant, three, from the summit of the 
pseudo-bulb, two feet and more long, broadly lanceolate, tapermg 
at each end, membranaceous, plaited. Scapes pendent from the 
base of the pseudo-bulb, a foot and more long, bearing flowers in _ 
a raceme almost to the very base, which latter is sheathed with 
several brown scales. Each flower is subglobose, of a rather full 
yellow colour, the unexpanded ones tinged with green. Sepals 
JANUARY Ist, 1846. 
