-— Tas. 8714. 
STAUROPSIS Imruvrnu. 
Solomon Islands. 
OrcHIDACEAE. Tribe VANDEAE. 
Sravropsis, Benth.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. iii. p- 572. 
Stauropsis Imthurnii, Rolfe; species insignis, a speciebus adhuc notis foliis 
longissime arcuatis et inflorescentiis amplissimis laxe paniculatis differt. 
c Herba epiphytica. Caulis erectus, brevis, crassus, 3°5 cm. latus. Folia arcuata, 
crasso-coriacea, elongato-ligulata, acuta, 7°5-10 dm. longa, 5-7°5 em. lata, 
basi in vaginis amplexicaulibus dilatatis, imbricata. Scapus erectus, laxe 
paniculatus, circiter 1 m. altus; ramuli 10-20 em. longi, laxe multiflori ; 
bracteae breves, patentes, late ovatae, obtusae, 2°5-3 cm. longae ; pedicelli 
1 cm. longi. Flores modiocres, subcarnosi, 3°5-4 cm. diametro. Sepala 
et petala patentia, subspathulato-obovata, obtusa, 1°5-2 em. longa. 
Labellum breviter unguiculatum, carnosum, trilobum, medio saccatum, 
x 0°5-0°7 cm. longum ; lobi laterales erecti, orbiculari-oblongi, circiter 3 m. 
longi; lobus intermedius inflexus late oblongus, obtusus, prominenter 
carinatus. Colwmna lata, 0°8 cm. longa. Pollinia obovoideo-oblonga ; 
stipes late oblongus ; glandula squamiformis.—R. A. Rours. 
This fine Stauwropsis is remarkable for its exceptional size 
and its ample lax panicle of white flowers with violet blue 
markings on the lip. A native of the Solomon Islands, 
Kew is indebted for the plant to Sir Everard im Thurn, 
who met with it in 1905 when visiting that Archipelago 
on H.M.S. “ Torch,” as Governor of Fiji and High Com- 
missioner of the Western Pacific. At Langa Langa, on 
the west coast of Mala (Malaita) Island, an opportunity 
was afforded of botanising in the bush. In a forest with 
many large canopy trees but little undergrowth, the plant 
figured was found on a fallen trunk on which grew a 
dense mass of other orchids with ferns and grasses; it 
: bore the remains of a fairly recent flower-spike. On 
reaching Fiji it was planted on a topped tree fern under 
a “bush house” in the gardens of Government House. 
1. wee It showed no sign of a new flower-spike until May, 1908. 
This spike was under a foot long in August, 1909, when 
a it began to develop more rapidly, but still showed no 
June, 1917, : : 
