Tab. 5515. 



DENDROBIUM hedyosmum. 



Sweet-scented Dendrobium. 



Nat. Ord. OechidejE. — Gynandria Monandria. 

 Gen. Char. {Vide supra, Tab. 5303.) 



Dendrobium hedyosmum; caulibus erectis nigro-hirsutis spithamaeis, floribus 

 lateralibus geminatis odoi-atissimis, sepalis petalisque subaequalibus ovato- 

 lanceolatis acutis nitidis, labelli trilobi lobis lateralibus erectis acutis inter- 

 medio majore margine crispulo, disco sulcato, apice acuto decurvo. Batem. 



Dendrobium hedyosmum. Bateman, mss. 



Dendrobium albo-viride. Parish in lit. 



Although the vast majority of the species of the great Indian 

 genus Dendrobium are entirely scentless, a few, e.g. D. macrophyl- 

 lum, send forth disagreeable odours, while a still smaller number, 

 among which may be classed the subject of the accompanying 

 Plate, yield the most grateful perfumes. The fragrance of I). 

 hedyosmum might almost be mistaken for Wallflower. 



Our plant was received from Moulmein two years ago by 

 Messrs. Hugh Low and Co., of the Clapton Nursery, under the 

 name of B. albo-viride, which had been provisionally given by 

 its discoverer, Mr. Parish. And indeed when the flowers of a 

 specimen at Knypersley, from whence the figure is taken, first 

 opened, they were unmistakably of a pale greenish-white and 

 so far justified Mr. Parish's specific name ; but in the course of 

 a few days these tints disappeared, the sepals and petals began 

 to shine like polished ivory, while the disk of the lip glowed with 

 a rich orange-yellow, thus entirely changing the appearance and 

 character of the blossoms, and rendering the name of albo-viride 

 no longer appropriate. Under these circumstances, I have ven- 

 tured to substitute the name of hedyosmum, in allusion to the 

 delicious perfume of the flowers, a change which I cannot doubt 

 will be approved by Mr. Parish himself. 

 June 1st, 1865. 



