assuming a rich healthy vegetation. After throwing out 

 suckers from each side, it shoots up its spikes of bright 

 blue flowers, which begin to open in March, and endure 

 till the end of April : when the period for a cessation of 

 growth draws near, its parts harden, its flowers fall away, 

 and by June it is ready again to undergo the same treat- 

 ment as before. 



It is no doubt desirable to create an artificial winter or 

 cold season for all tropical plants, if it be possible ; but 

 this is generally impracticable; and, although Mr. Kendall's 

 management succeeds with this, and two or three similar 

 plants from the same part of the southern hemisphere, it 

 by no means follows that it can be applied generally ; on 

 the contrary, we know from experience that Brazilian and 

 West Indian epiphytes of the Orchis tribe are destroyed 

 by it. 



Leaves recurved, covered with a kind of frost-like scale, 

 lanceolate, acuminate, convolute, longer than the scape. 

 Scape erect, less scaly. Flowers bright deep blue, with 

 large, ventricose, oblong, acute bractea3, of which the lower- 

 most are cuspidate. Petals ovate, acute, and spreading at 

 the end, as long as the bractese. 



J. L. 



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