PABA N AS 
BRASAVOLA’ GLAUCA: 
GLAUCOUS-STEMMED BRASAVOLA. 
Trisus: EPIDENDRE#®.—Linptey. 
BRASAVOLA. R. Brown in Hort. Kew. ed. 2,-5, 216.—Lind. Gen. et Sp. Orchid. 114. 
Perianruium explanatum. Sepala et petala subsequalia, libera, acuminata. 
Labellum cucullatum, integrum, columnam involvens. Columna marginata, clavata, 
stigmate infundibulari, clinandrio posticé tridentato. Pollinia 8, subsequalia, qui- 
busdam aliis parvis interjectis. Anthera 4-locularis, septis marginatis, loculis 
semibipartitis—Herba Americane caulescentes, epiphyte, apice folium solita- 
rium, spits semi-cylindraceum, carnosum, supra suleatum, apice subulatum 
gerentes. Flores terminales, magni, speciosi. 
Brasavoia glauca; caulibus brevibus incrassatis compressis folio quam maximé carnoso pauld 
brevioribus, floribus solitariis & spatha magna pedunculo subequali erumpentibus : sepalis petalisque 
conformibus coriaceis repandis lanceolatis obtusis, labello-cordato basi convoluto lateribus inaequaliter 
lobatis : columna brevissima marginibus membranaceis, clinandrio 5-lobo. 
Habitat prope Xalapam in Mexico—Hencuman, Harrwec, Descuanps. 
Description, 
From a stout Ruizoma, spring, at intervals of about an inch, the short, swollen, compressed 
Srems, three or four inches long, rather shorter than the leaves. Leaves solitary, exceedingly 
fleshy, glaucous (as are also the stems), obtuse, sometimes boat-shaped. From the axil of the leaf 
issues a brown compressed SpatTuex, as long as the peduncle, and about three inches in length. 
PEpDIcELL tapering into along neck. SEPALS and PEAS spreading, leathery, lanceolate, obtuse, 
equal to each other, of a pale olive-green. Lp convolute at the base, but expanded upwards into a 
broad, cordate, acute, flat, whitish-yellow plate, irregularly lobed at the sides; at its base, in the 
inside, are four sanguine streaks ; it is fully two inches long, and (in the widest part) almost as 
broad. Cotumn very short, membranous at the edges, with an unequally 5-lobed CLinanpRivM. 
(Lindley in litt.) 
THIS remarkable Brasavola was originally sent to England by Mr. Hencuman, who discovered a 
solitary plant of it in the neighbourhood of Xalapa. It was subsequently met with, near the same locality, 
by Mr. Harrwee, by whom some fine plants were transmitted to the Horticultural Society of London, in 
the early part of 1837; and from one of these, which flowered in their garden at Chiswick, the following 
spring, the accompanying drawing was prepared. 
Shortly after the arrival of Mr. Harrwxe’s collection, the species again made its appearance, amongst 
a huge assemblage of Mexican Orchidacee, which had been brought to England (on speculation) by a 
Frenchman, of the name of Descuamps.j- To some of these plants were attached the remains of what had 
* So called by Brown, in honour of Ant. Musa. Brasavola, an Italian botanist. 
+ This importation was quite unique in its way, and formed a sort of epoch in the history of the Orchido-mania. A vessel came into port 
freighted, almost exclusively, with Epiphytes and Cacti, and such was their abundance, that it was found necessary to engage an extensive suite of 
apartments for their accommodation, in Hungerford Market! The plan pursued by M. Deschamps was to parcel out his plants in small collections of 
about twenty species, for which, in the first instance, he asked and obtained very high prices, but the London market being at length exhausted, 
similar collections were distributed through the provinces, and offered at greatly reduced rates. ‘The author himself purchased, in a country town, a 
set of at least twenty kinds for a sum which, in the metropolis, he had in vain tendered for only two! In case of any future inundation of Orchidacez, 
this little fact should be borne in mind. 
