Tab. 7376. 

 SOBRALIA sessilis. 



Native of British Guiana. 



Nat. Ord. Orchide^e.— Tribe Neottie;e. 

 Genua Sobralia, Ruiz et Pav.; (Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant, vol.iii. p. 590.) 



Sobralta sessilis; caulibuB gracilibus brunneo-bispidulis, fohis paucis 

 3-4-pollicaribus ovato-lanceolatis acuminatis supra tete Tindibus 

 nervis impressis, subtus rufo-brunneis valide costatis, floribus solitaries 

 sessilibus, bracteis lineari-lanceolatis erectis punctatis, floribus roseis 

 3 poll, diam., perianthii tubo pollicari, sepalis petalisque consiniilibus 

 linearibus acutis recur ria v. revolutis dorso marginibusqne pallidis, labello 

 petalis tequilougo, tnbo basi sub-gibboso, limbo recurvo ovato erosc- 

 dentato saturate roseo apice albido basi lamellis 2 brevibus aucto, columna 

 1'acie medio versus auguste 2-alata apice bicruri, cruribus incurvis 

 antberam subrostratam marginantibus. 



S. sessilis, Lindl. Bot. Reg. vol. slvii. (1841), t. 17 ; et Misc.jp. 3 (non Bot. Mag. 

 t. 4570, quit S. decurva, Batem). Fol. Orchid. Sobralia, n. 6. 



S. Galeottiana, Lindl. Fol. Orchid. I.e. n. 5 partim (non A. Rich.) 



Sobralia sessilis is a Guiana species discovered by the 

 late Sir Robert Schomburgk in about 1840, from whom it 

 was received by Messrs. Loddiges, who again communi- 

 cated specimens to Dr. Lindley that were figured in the 

 Botanical Register in 1841. A very similar but different 

 plant was figured in the Botanical Magazine (t. 4570) 

 under the same name, from being supposed to be the same 

 species. The latter is 8. decora, Bateman (Orchids of 

 Mexico and Guatemala, t. 26) a native of Guatemala, which 

 has a green stem, leaves pale beneath, pale sepals and 

 petals, and a pale pink lip with a more orbicular termina- 

 tion. The plate with its erroneous name was pirated in 

 Lemaire's Jardin Fleuriste (vol. i. t. 104). These species 

 are further confounded by Lindley, who, in the Folia 

 Orchidacea, besides keeping up 8, sessilis and decora, 

 takes up A. Richards' 8. Galeottiana of Mexico, adding 

 Demerara to its habitat. The fact is, as Mr. Rolfe has 

 ascertained, Richards' Galeottiana is Bateman's decora 

 (published two years earlier) and the Demerara plant is 

 sessilis. 



September 1st, 1894. 



