2005 



* CIRRH^A obtusata. 

 Blunt-petalled CirrhcBa. 



GYNANDRIA MONAh^DRlA. 



Nat. ord. Orchidace^, § Vande*. 

 CIRRHMA. Supra, vol. l^.fol. 1538. 



obtusata ; foliis oblongo-lanceolatis utrinque acuminatis, petalis sepalisque 

 lineari-oblongis obtusiusculis planis, labelli lobo medio obovato acuto inflexo 



latt^ unguiculato lateralibus acuminatis. 



This species of Cirrhaea appears distinct from any of the 

 others yet described. It is a good deal like C. fusco-lutea, 

 for which I at first mistook it ; but it seems sufficiently dis- 

 tinguished by its much more obtuse petals and smaller 

 flowers. I am, however, far from being satisfied with the 

 goodness of such distinctions among these plants, and am 

 rather inclined to fear that we sometimes trust them too 

 much. I believe, however, the form of the middle lobe of 

 the lip to be essentially different in this species from all, 

 except one which flowered in Messrs. Loddiges' collection in 

 March last, and which I then named C. pallida. 



That plant had most of the characters of C. obtusata, 

 except that the sepals and petals were acuminated, and the 

 middle lobe of the labellum placed on a slender unguis. The 

 real value of these distinctions must remain for future 

 enquiry. 



* See folio 1538. 



