Lap XV IE. 
CORYANTHES SPECIOSA, var. 
MR. RUCKER’S VARIETY OF CORYANTHES SPECIOSA. 
Trisus: VANDEM®.—Linp-tey. 
CORYANTHES. Hooker, Bot. Mag. t. 3102.—Lind. Gen. & Spe. xciii. 
PeriantTuium patentissimum. Sepala dilatata, flexuosa, conduplicata ; late- 
ralibus maximis, basi distinctis. Petala multO minora erecta. Labellum unguicu- 
latum, maximum, galeatum, cum basi columnz continuum, nullo modo articulatum, 
tridentatum, in medio unguis appendice poculiformé cireumdatum. Columna teres, 
basi bicornis, elongata, apice recurva, bialata. Stigma rima transversa. Anthera 
bilocularis. Pollinia 2 compressa, posticé sulcata, caudicula lineari areuata, glan- 
dula lunata apicibus approximato-recurvis.—_Herbe Americane epiphyte, pseudo- 
bulbos. Racemi penduli. Flores maximi.—Lind. Gen. et Spe. xciii. 
Gongora speciosa. Hooker, Bot. Mag. t. 2755. 
Coryanthes maculata. Hooker, Bot. Mag. t. 3102. Lindl. Bot. Reg. t. 
Habitat in Brazilid, Harrison ; in Demerard, Parker: in Meaico, Rucker. 
Description, 
Pservupo-Bu Bs deeply striated, broadest at the base, sometimes nearly six inches long, clustered. 
Leaves two on each pseudo-bulb, broadly lanceolate, striated, a foot or more long. Scare about 
two feet long, pendent from its weight, bearing from two to six large and remarkable FLOWERS. 
Bracts membranaceous, ovate-lanceolate, three or four on the scape, where they are sheathing, and 
one at the base of each flower. The lateral SEPALS are spread out in an horizontal direction, and 
resemble a bat’s wings; they soon become reflexed and withering ; the upper sepal is narrower than 
those at the sides, but, like them, is folded backwards; in most varieties the sepals are yellowish 
green, semi-transparent, and destitute of spots, but occasionally, as in the Plate, a few spots 
occur. PETALS much waved, erect, linear-oblong, much smaller than the sepals; usually spotted 
with rich chestnut on a yellowish ground. The Lrp is in two portions; at the base is a deep 
‘orange, satiny large cup or sack, from the inner and upper margin of which there rises a very large, 
again pedunculated, helmet-shaped process, of a thick and fleshy nature, hollow within, standing 
erect, which covers with its rigid apex the top of the column. CoLtumn exactly perpendicular, 
almost two inches long, cylindrical, enlarged at the top so as to resemble an inverted foot, pale green, 
sprinkled with reddish streaks ; at the base two oblong curved processes occur, from which honey is 
constantly distilled, and falls into the cup below.— Hooker, l. c. 
THIS beautiful plant flowered in June, 1842, in Mr. Rucxer’s fine collection at Wandsworth. 
Having been imported from Mexico, where no Coryanthes had been previously found, its progress was 
eagerly watched, and the development of its huge flower-buds awaited with no small anxiety. Contrary, 
however, to expectation the expanded blossoms exhibited no distinctive characters, but approached so closely 
® So called from the resemblance of the flowers to xopus, a helmet. 
