Tab. 40. 
CATASETUM HOOKERL 
Nar. Orv. Orchidex ; Tribus Vandew. -  Lann. Sysr. Gynandria Monandria. 
CATASETUM, Richard.  Pollinia duo, posticé biloba y. sulcata : caudicula maxima denudata transversé demum 
elasticé contractili ; glandula cartilaginea subquadrata. Anthera sub-bilocularis anticé truncata. Stigma excava- 
tum. Columna aptera antice utrinque Dicirrhosa. Labellum carnosum galeatum y. explanatum, basi saccatum, 
obscure trilobum. Sepala sepits in globum conniventia ; quandoque patentia.—Herbe epiphyte (Americe aqui- 
noctialis) bulbis ovatis vestigis foliorum vestitis. Folia basi vaginantia plicata. Scapi radicales. Flores magni 
virides v, viridi-purpurei. 
Div. I. Perianthiwn globosum. Labellum saccatum galeatum. Lindl. in Bot. Reg. 840. 
CaTAsEetum, racemo foliis trinervibus altiore, labelli lobo medio incurvo retuso: lateralibus erectis dentatis, sepalis 
ovalibus acutis nervosis in globum conniventibus. 
C. Hookeri. Lindl. 1. c. in textu. 
We have long waited for an opportunity of examining this singular plant in a living state ; but we regret to say 
without success. 'The annexed drawing was made by Dr. Hooker from a plant sent from the Brazils by Mr. Swain- 
son, and which flowered in the stove of his garden at Halesworth, in 1818. We are not aware that it has blos- 
somed since that time, and we can give no description of it beyond that which might be obtained from the excel- 
lent representation now published. 
This is remarkably different from any of the species enumerated in the Botanical Register. 
The Anguloa lurida described by Professor Link in the Transactions of the Prussian Horticultural Society, 
vol. 1. p. 289. with a figure, is very nearly related to Catasetum Hookeri, from which it appears to be distinguishable 
only by its many nerved leaves, and by the absence of denticulations from the side lobes of the labellum. There is 
some little difference in the colour and form of the labellum of that species. 
Of this genus, the second section, which is constituted of one species only, C.cristatum, differs materially from the 
first in not having a saccate galeate labellum ; but in its room an expanded labellum covered over with numerous 
fleshy processes, with a little bag at its base. The plant differs little otherwise from the species with a galeate la- 
bellum, so that we do not think it advisable for the present to assign it a station as a distinct genus on that character 
alone. It is, however, far too important an aberration from the form of Catasetum to be united with that genus 
otherwise than as a distinct section. We observed in the garden of the Horticultural Society a spike of Catasetum 
eristatum, in which a few of the flowers had entirely lost the crested expanded form of the labellum, and had per- 
fectly assumed the galeate labellum of C. tridentatum ; a most remarkable monstrosity, like which we have seen 
nothing in any other tribe of plants. 
Are not C. tridentatum, Claveringi and floribundum, varieties of each other? or at least the two last ? 
EXPLANATION OF THE PLATE. 
1. A flower in front. 2. The same behind. 3. A flower with the sepals spread open. 4. A side view of the labellum. 
5. A section of the labellum. 6. The columna. 7. The anther. 8, The pollen masses. 
