Tas. 4886. 
DENDROBIUM MacCarruta. 
Mrs. MacCarthy’s Dendrobium. 
Nat. Ord. OrcHIDE®.—GYNANDRIA MONANDRIA. 
Gen. Char. (Vide supra, Tas. 4755.) 
Denprosium MacCarthie; caulibus pendulis flagelliformibus teretibus striatis 
versus apicem foliosis, nodis parce tumidis, racemis axillaribus 4—-5-floris, 
floribus magnis dilute purpureis, sepalis lanceolatis acutis petala multo latiora 
ovato-lanceolata longitudine fere equantibus, labello subtrilobato vel sub- 
trapeziformi apice rotundato retuso, foliis lanceolatis. 
This beautiful species of Dendrobium, which appears hitherto 
to have escaped the observation of botanists in Ceylon, occurs 
sparingly, pendent from the trunks of large trees, in the forests 
about Ratuapoora and towards Galle, where it seemed to be 
pretty generally known to the natives under the name of “ is-_ 
sak-mal,’ the meaning of which is “ Rainy-month flower,” or 
“ May-flower.”’ 
With this charming plant, which is certainly the most beau- 
tiful of the Ceylon Orchidacea, 1 wish to be associated the name 
of my excellent friend Mrs. MacCarthy, the accomplished lady 
of the Honourable C. J. MacCarthy, Esq., Colonial Secretary of: 
the island, to whose kindness and regard for science I have been 
indebted for many facilities in pursuing my investigations. 
Duscr. Stems simple, one and a half to two feet long, of 
about the thickness of a goose-quill, striated, slightly swollen at 
the joints; internodes one to one and a half inch long. Leaves 
few at the upper part of the stem, lanceolate, two and a half to 
three inches long and from three-quarters to one inch wide. Ra- 
cemes one to three, each one in the axil of a leaf, four- or five- 
flowered ; peduncles with several sheathing bracts at the base ; 
pedicels whitish, about one and a quarter inch long. Howers hand- 
some, nearly three inches long and three and a half inches wide, 
flattened vertically, pale purple. 
equalling in length the mach wider oblong-lanceolate petals ; 
DECEMBER Ist, 1855. 
Sepals narrow-lanceolate, nearly : 
