Tas. 4639. 
SARCANTHUS rinirormtis. 
Slender-leaved Sarcanthus. 
Nat. Ord. OrcHIDE®.—GYNANDRIA MONANDRIA. 
Gen. Char. Perianthium explanatum. Sepala et petala subeequalia. Labellum 
breve calcaratum, trilobum, carnosum, cum columna articulatum ; calcare intus 
x biloculari. Columna erecta, semiteres. Anthera bilocularis. Pollinia 2, pos- 
tice lobata, caudicula glandulaque variis.—Herbe epiphyte, caulescentes. Folia 
disticha, plana v. teretia. Racemi oppositifolii. Flores speciost. Lindl. 
SaRcANTHUS filiformis ; foliis tereti-filiformibus, racemis multifloris, sepalis pe- 
talisque reflexis, labello apice ovato, fauce utrinque bidentato, apice calcaris 
didymo, columnee facie glabra. 
SARCANTHUS filiformis. Lindl. Bot. Reg. 1842. Mise. p. 61. 
Introduced by Dr. Wallich from India. Though the flowers 
are smaller than those of S. ¢eretifolius, figured at our Tab. 3571, 
they are much more numerous on the stalk and more highly 
coloured; the plant may be said to be graceful, with its long, 
slender, terete leaves and its drooping raceme. It blossoms in 
our Orchideous stove in September. ee 
Descr. Stem terete, branched, thicker than a crows quill. 
Leaves alternate, a foot to a foot and a half long, equal in 
thickness to the stem and equally terete, tapering to a pout,. 
fleshy, pendent. Raceme a span and more long, pendent, with 
thirty or forty small flowers, each with a very minute green 
bractea at the base. Sepals ovate, concave, acute, reflexed, deep 
chocolate-colour, with a pale green nerve and margin. Pe/als 
small, linear, of the same colour as the sepals. Lip white, 
tinged with yellow and purple, thick, fleshy, ovate, three-lobed, 
with an obtuse didymous spur at the base ; side-lobes small, in- 
curved, cut into two blunt teeth, the middle one acute, bent 
APRIL Ist, 1852. 
