wards in the natural situation of the scape, forming a galea 
or helmet. The cornua, which form one of the principal 
characters of the genus, are not visible in our drawing, 
being concealed within the labellum. Dr. Hooker, in his 
description, by considering the flower as separated from 
the scape, reverses the position of the parts, and thus de- 
scribes the germen as slightly curved upwards, which, in 
reality, is curved downwards, and after deflorescence is 
quite reflected. } i 
Our drawing was taken at the Chelsea Botanic Garden, 
in September 1824. Native of the island of Trinidad, and 
sent from thence to Mr. Anprrson, by his Excellency Sir 
Rapa J. Wooprorp, the Governor. 
The outline figure is a diminished representation of the whole plant. 
a 
Professor Hooxer’s description of Cataserum tridentatum. 
. : F * 
“The whole plant from a foot and a half to two feet in height. Root com- 
posed of many, large, white, thick, smooth fibres. Bulb five or six inches 
in longth, oblong, subcompressed, covered at first with the sheathing bass _ 
of the leaves, afterwards naked, green, marked with reddish rings where the 
leaves have been inserted, and longitudinally striated. Leaves from six to tet 
inches long, broadly lanceolate, keeled, striated, undulated, bright green, & 
pering towards the base, but enlarging again very considerably, so as to form 
the sheathing of the bulb, these sheaths are of a more membranaceous textur 
than the léayes themselves, paler green, and very closely striated. Scape 
arising from the root by the side of the bulb, twelve or fourteen inchesi — 
height, cylindrical, green, jointed and furnished with short, membranaceols — 
sheaths, which are slit on one side, terminated at the extremity by a spike ms 
about a dozen very large and beautiful flowers, which are resupinate, and of ce 
highly remarkable structure. The jive petals which compose the corolla ae 
subconnivent, and form an arch over the column of fructification ; of thes? 
the three outer ones are lanceolate, concave, green; the two inner ones st 
broadly ovate, concave, subacuminate, yellowish brown, ele spotted wi 
' purple. Lip large, cucullate, ventricose, its margin entire, except in tht 
front, where there are three obtuse teeth, the outside faintly and obliquely 
striated ; its colour is a bright yellow, greenish at the summit; there Bo 
Sometimes a few indistinct purple spots within. Column united by its base ¥" 
the back of the lip, an inch long, curved forward, yellow, the back conve 
the front, concave, its extremity suddenly acuminated, and. having @ pre 
claw-like process at the very point. From the margin or front, and neat 
centre, proceed downwards two slender filiform processes, nearly an inch Jon§> | 
which curve towards each other, and are placed within the lip. Stigma pt | 
cave, subquadrate viscid. Anther operculiform (deciduous), and applied ® 
‘the upper attenuated part of the column, lanceolate, yellow-green, havils | 
within at its base two cells. Cells containing each a large spherical, WO! | 
ollen-mass, 2-lobed at the back, united by their bases to an oblong, brow 6 a 
-footstalk, whose margins are recurved, and whose base is fixed up? 
thickened quadrangular gland. ‘The germen, about an inch long, is slighY | 
urved upwards, furrowed, not at all twisted.” : 
