Tas. 7224. 
GONGORA GRATULABUNDA. 
Native of New Grenada. 
Nat. Ord. Orcuipex.—Tribe Vanpex. 
Genus Goneora, Ruiz. & Pav ; (Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Pl. vol. iii. p. 549.) 
Goncora gratulabunda; pseudobulbis oblongis alte acute costatis, foliis 
oblanceolatis caudato-acuminatis 5-nerviis, racemo laxifloro, pedunculo 
rachi pedicellisque elongatis rufo-fuscis, bracteis parvulis, floribus pen- 
dulis flavidis fusco rubro creberrime maculatis, sepalorum marginibua 
revolutis, dorsali oblongo-lanceolato acuto erecto, lateralibus reflexis 
ovato-lanceolatis acutis, petalis cultriformibus acuminatis columna bre- 
vioribus, labelli hypochilo cuneiforme tumido biaristato basi ecornuto, 
epichilo hypochilo zquilongo et aquilato ovato tumido undulato basi 
dorso saccato. 
G. gratulabunda, Reichb. f. in Bot. Zeit. L. (1857) 157 ; Xen. Orchid. vol. ii. 
p. 169, t. 170, f. 3. 
Of the species of Gongora hitherto described and figured 
G. gratulabunda, appears to me to be most nearly related to 
G. bufonia, Lindl., Bot. Reg. v. xxvii. (1841) t. 2, and v. 
xxxiil. (1847) t. 17, differing in the much larger and very 
differently coloured flowers ; those of G. bufonia being more 
or less of a vinous red and unspotted. In the form of the 
lip, from which the chief specific characters in the genus 
are taken by both Lindley and Reichenbach, they entirely 
agree, except that the gibbosities at the base of the 
hypochile in (7. bufonia are entirely absent in G. gratula- 
bunda. In this respect the latter agrees with G. portentosa 
(Tab. 6284) a species with very broad sepals, and with 
the epichile of the lip reduced toa subulate process. Other 
very closely allied forms of the species are figured by 
Reichenbach in his Xenia Orchidacea, as G. retrorsa, steno- 
glossa, Seideliana aromatica and superflua, all natives of the 
Northern States of South America, and very difficult to 
distinguish. 
G. gratulabunda is, according to Reichenbach, a 
doubtful native of New Grenada. It was discovered by 
Warscewicz, and was flowered in January of 1857 by the 
Marcu Ist, 1892. . 
i 
