Tab. 7815. 



SCHOMBURGKIA Thomsonia>ja. 

 Var. ill NOR. 



Native of the Cayman Islands, W. Indies. 



Nat. Ord. Orchide.^j. — Tribe Epidendre^. 

 GenuB ScHOMBUKGKiA, Lindl.; {Benth. & Sook.f. Gen. Plant, vol. iii. p. 534), 



SCHOMBTJRGKIA Thomsoniana; pseudobulbis 2-3 poll, longis oblongia v. 

 ovoideis oompressis sulcatis vaginia brevibus late ovatis membranaceis 

 striatis laxe tectis, foliis 2|-3-pollicaribas ellipticia obtusis crasse 

 coriaceis pallida viridibus, scapo 10-pollicari remote vaginato, vaginis ad 

 ^ poll, longis late ovatis appressia membranaceis albia brunneo striolatis, 

 racemo 4-12 poll, longo simplici v. paniculatim ramoso laxe 6- oo-floro, 

 bracteis pedicellis multo brevioribus erectis lanceolatis membranaceie, 

 pedicellis 1-1^ poll, longis gracilibus decurvis viridibus, ovario brevi, 

 perianthio 2h poll, diara., sepalis petalisque lineari-oblongis obtusis 

 citrinis marginibus undulatis, labelli lobis lateralibus oblongo-rotundatis 

 intus flavis roseo striolatis, terminali obcordato, ungue lato primulino, 

 disco 5-costato, limbo dilatato 2-lobo, lobis crispato-undulatis liete riibro- 

 purpureis, columna leviter incnrva marginibus integris, anthera breviter 

 biloba. 



S. Thomsoniana, Rrhb. f. in Gard. Chron. 1887, vol. ii. p. 38. Veitch, Man. 

 Orchid. Part II., p. 102. 



The beautiful Orcliid here figured is, as far as hitherto 

 known, confined in its native condition to the Cayman 

 Islands, or rather Islets, in the Caribbean Sea. Of *these 

 islets there are two groups, nearlj one hundred miles 

 apart, situated respectively, the large or Grand Cayman, 

 two hundred miles W.IST.W., and the lesser or Cayman 

 Brae, one hundred and forty miles N.W. of the Western 

 point of Jamaica, of which they are dependencies. They 

 are clothed with forest, and inhabited by ^Turtle-fishers. 



There are two varieties of 8. Thomsoniana, namely, 

 atrojmrpurea, with large cream-coloured and purple 

 flowers, the lip with a deep purple throat, and slightly 

 recurved terminal lobe ; and minor, with smaller 

 canary-yellow flowers, and less purple on the throat of 

 the lip, which has a strongly reflexed terminal lobe. Both 

 vars. grow on the Grand Cayman, where atrojmrjmrca 

 is most abundant. Var. minor is confiined to Cayman 

 Bt-ac. Our figure represents var. minor. 

 Ja.suari- 1st, iy02. 



