TAG Boer, 
DENDROBIUM mouricatuM, var. MUNIFICUM. 
New Caledonia. 
C 
ORCHIDACEAE. Tribe EPIDENDREAER. 
DenpRosium, Swartz; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. iii. p. 498. 
Dendrobium muricatum, Finet, var. munificum, Finet in Bull. Soc. Bot. 
France, vol. 1, (1908), p. 378, t. 14, fig. 7-18; Rolfe in Orch, Rev. 1909, 
p. 347; a typo labello spathulato, lobis lateralibus quadratis, isthmo 
ee a lobo medio ovato-orbiculari crenulato-undulato concavo 
iffe. 
Herba epiphytica. Rhizom« validum, radices muricatas emittens. Pseudobulbé 
ovoideo-oblongi, 4-7 em. longi, 2-3 cm. lati, vaginis membranaceis striatis 
imbricatis demum deciduis vel ad filamenta hispida reductis obtecti, cica- 
tricibus 5-7-annulati, apice mono- vel diphylli. Folia elliptico-oblonga, 
coriacea, apice recurva et subacuta, basi in petiolum brevem attenuata, 
8-22 cm. longa, 3-7 cm. lata. Scapi subterminales, arcuati, 20-40 cm. longi; 
basi vaginis paucis brevibus obtecti; racemi multiflori; bracteae triangu- 
lares, acutae, 2 mm. longae; pedicelli 1°5 cm. longi. Sepala patentia, 
oblonga, apiculata, circiter 2 cm. longa, viridia, brunneo-maculata. Petala 
patentia, oblonga, subobtusa, circiter 2 cm. longa, viridia, minute brunneo- 
punctata. Labellum articulatum, submobile, trilobum, fere 2 em. longum; 
lobi laterales erecti, quadrati, truncati, subconcavi, 3 mm. longi, virides, 
margine purpureo-striati; isthmus cuneato-oblongus, 8 mm. longus, - 
rubro-purpureus; lobus medius ovato-orbicularis, concavus, 8-10 mm. 
latus, margine crenulato-undulatus, aureus; discus prope basin biauricu- 
latus. Columna lata, 4 mm. longa. Mentum subobsoletum.—R. A. Rours. 
The very remarkable Dendrobium which forms the subject 
of this plate is a native of New Caledonia first described by 
Mr. Finet in 1903. In reviewing its position in the genus 
Mr. Finet has suggested that it may belong to the section 
Dendrocoryne and be an ally of D. speciosum, Smith, figured 
at t. 3074 of this work. The difficulties in the way of 
accepting this suggestion are considerable, and Mr. Rolfe, 
who points out that the vegetative organs, as shown in the 
plant here figured, have probably not yet reached their full 
development, is inclined to treat it rather as an aberrant 
member of the section Sarcopodium. The form regarded as 
typical D. muricatum differs markedly from the variety here 
depicted in the shape of the lip, especially in the widely 
hastate-cordate anterior lobe. ‘The muricate roots character- 
istic of the species are remarkable and recall those of 
D. mutabile, Lindl. The plant from which our figure has 
been prepared flowered in the Royal Botanic Garden, 
ApriL, 1911. : 
