1904 



* lONOPSIS tenera. 

 Delicate lonops'is. 



GYNANDRIA MONANDRIA. 



Nat. ord. Orchidace^, § Vande^. 



lONOPSIS, Kunth. -^ Perianthium clausum. Sepala lateralia basi 

 approximata, (v. connata) cum basi labelli connata. Petala sepalis conformia. 

 Labellum sepalis multo majus, basi saccatum, ungue bicalloso columna parallelo, 

 lamina explanata patente biloba. Columna erecta, aptera, semiteres, rostello 

 rostrato. Anthera 1-locularis rostrata. PolUniaQ, postice sulcata, caudiculS. 



lineari inclusa, glandula obovata. Herbse epiphyfce, acaules. Folia coriacea. 



Scapi paniculati, vaginati. Floras parvi, pallidi. Lindl. Gen. & Sp. 

 Orch. 193. 



I. tenera ; foliis carinatis aouminatis, scapo subsimplici, sepalis acutis lateralibus 

 liberis labello cuneato obliqu^ truncato bilobo crenulato duplo brevioribus. 



The species of this genus are but little known. It is seldom that they 

 appear in gardens, in consequence of the difficulty attending their preser- 

 vation on shipboard, and when imported they are difficult to manage and 

 soon are lost. In their native woods they grow upon the smaller branches 

 of trees, or upon dead sticks, which their white slender delicate roots 

 quickly overspread. When cultivated they require all the aid of a hot 

 and damp stove. 



Materials to illustrate this genus are so uncommon, that there is much 

 difficulty in ascertaining what species it contains. I think, however, four 

 may be safely characterized, exclusively of I. pulchella and testiculata. 

 The first of these is figured in the Collectanea Botanica, under the name 

 of I. utricularioides ; it is a smaller plant in all respects than the other 

 three, has a panicled scape, and its labellum is not much longer than the 

 sepals, which are acute ; a second is Sir William Hooker's lantha palli- 

 diflora, which has a large lip with a little irregular toothing at its margin, 

 and extremely obtuse sepals and petals. The third is that now repre- 

 sented, which differs from I. pallidiflora in its sepals being acute, and its 



* Literally Violet-faced ; lov a violet and o\\jiz look ; why so named 1 do not 

 know. 



VOL. XX n. N 



