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 JOURNAL OF THE PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



LINNEAN SOCIETY OE LONDON, 



Contributions to the Orchidology of India. — No. II. 



By Professor Lindley, F.E.S., E.L.S., &c. 



(Continued from. voL i. p. 190.) 



[Eead March 4th, 1858.] 



Dendkobium, Swartz. 

 Tins great Indian genus varies extremely in the habit of its nu- 

 merous species, — some being little larger than the mosses among 

 which they grow, while others are surpassed in stature by few of 

 the Order. Like the Oncidia of the New World, there are some 

 species of which the foliage is ancipitous, others having it terete, 

 while in the majority it is in the usual flat condition. A few have 

 no other stem than a wiry creeping rhizome ; others have small 

 conical pseudo-bulbs ; many form clavate horny stems, leafy only 

 at the summit ; but the greater part produce long leafy branches. 

 In the majority the colour of the flowers is some shade of purple ; 

 a few are destitute of all colour except green ; and a rather con- 

 siderable group is especially distinguishable by the rich yellow 

 tint of their blossoms. Of such distinctions advantage has been 

 taken in the following sketch of the entire genus, now consisting 

 of more than 200 species, of which I have examined the larger part. 

 In this all the species agree, that there are only foin* pollen-masses, 

 nearly equal in size, and of uniform breadth at either end. On the 

 contrary, the Erias, which in some cases have been mistaken for 

 Denchohium, have the pollen-masses pyriform, so that when, in the 



LINN. PEOC. — BOTANX. B 



