Tab. G354. 



SPATHOGLOTTIS Petri. 



Native of the Pacific Islands. 



Nat. Orel. Ouchide^e. — Tribe Epidexdueje. 

 Genus Spathoglottis, JJlame ; (Reiohb. f. in Walp. Ann. vol. vi. p. 455.) 



Si'ATHOGT.oTrrs Petri ; pseudobulbis li-poll-diam., foliis pedalibus anguste 

 lanceolatis longe acuminatis, scapo gracili superne pubesccnte, vaginis appres- 

 sis, bracteis rbombeo-ovatis acutis caducis, pedicellis gracilibus ovarioque 

 pubescentibus, floribus l?ete palli<Je lilacinis 2-poll diametr., sepalis ovato- 

 oblongis acutis, petalis requilongis sed latioribus fere rotundatis obtusis v. 

 apiculatis, labello parvo, lobis lateralibus oblongis, terminaH transverse 

 oblongo apiculato medio costato, disco callo late cordato pubescente ocbroleuco 

 instructo. 



S. Petri, Reiehb.f. in Gard. Gkron. 1877, pars. 2, p. • - W2. 



I assume that this fine plant, which was received from 

 Messrs. Veitch about the time of the publication of S. Petri 

 by Eeichenbach, to be the plant of that learned orchidologist, 

 though it differs from his description in the lax and few- 

 fiowered raceme. It is a native of the South Sea Islands, 

 from where it was introduced by Mr. Peter Veitch. Though 

 there are several Pacific Island species of the genus in the 

 Herbarium, I find that none agrees with this in the very marked 

 character of the deciduous bracts ; these organs in the New 

 Caledonian, Fijian, Malayan Archipelago, and Indmn species 

 being remarkably persistent, even long after the ripening of 

 the fruit. 



The genus Spathoglottis is a very beautiful one, but the 

 species are not kept long in cultivation, doubtless from being 

 over stimulated by heat and moisture throughout the year. 

 The S. Khasiana, which I have seen wild in India, grows 

 amongst moss in a thin layer of soil on rocks, and its 

 pseudobulbs get well ripened during the drier cool season of 

 the year. I imagine that the species would do well if treated 

 more like Pleiones. There are superb species still to be intro- 



Arnir. 1st, 1878. 



