The species of Schomburgkia are, — • 



1. S crispa (Lindl. in Sert. Orchid, t. 10. Bot. Reg. 1844. t. 23. S. mar- 



ginata, var. Hooker in Bot. Mag. t. 3/29.) ; pseudobulbis fusiformibus, 

 floribus racemosis, bracteis ovario subaequalibus, labello ovato-oblongo 

 obtuse vix cucuUato obsolete trilobo sepalis petalisque oblongis crispis 

 subsequali : lamellis 5 undulatis duabusque lateralibus tenuibus reetis. 



Demerara. This plant has yellowish brown flowers, with scarcely 



a trace of purple ; and by that circumstance alone it may be distin- 

 guished. Its lip is nearly flat, very little three-lobed, and broadest at 

 the base : other characters peculiar to itself. Although the author of 

 the species, I must plead guilty to having on one occasion, (Bot. Reg. 

 misc. Feb. 1839) confounded it with S. marginata, and thus misled Sir 

 Wm. Hooker, whose figure in the Bot. Magazine, t. 3/29, undoubtedly 

 belongs to this species. Probably the colours in the Sertum, taken from 

 a drawing by Mr. Schomburgk, are much too yellow. 



2. S. marginata (Lindl. in Sertum Orchid, t. 13.) ; pseudobulbis clavato- 



fusiformibus, floribus racemosis, bracteis ovario subeequaUbus, labello 

 ovali acuto basi angustato trilobo pariim cucullato sepalis petalisque 

 oblongis undulatis subsequali, lamellis crispis .5 continuis lateralibus in- 



terruptis. Surinam, Demerara. Formerly in cultivation, but now 



lost ; unless the " Spread Eagle" plant of Jamaica should prove to be it. 

 It differs from S. crispa in its flowers being distinctly purple, with only 

 a little yellow at the edge of the sepals and petals, and in the form and 

 appendages of the lip, which tapers to the base, is very distinctly three- 

 lobed, has an acute oval middle lobe, and is furnished with wavy plates, 

 which are broken up at the sides. 



3. S. midvlata (Lindl. in Bot. Reg. 1844. misc. 21.) ; pseudobulbis fusifor- 



mibus, floribus dense racemosis, bracteis longissimis spathaceis, sepalis 

 petalisque sequalibus linearibus undulato-crispis labello longioribus, 

 labelli cucullati lobis lateralibus rotundatis intermedio ovali acuto v. 



obtuso, lamellis 5 undulatis duabusque lateralibus reetis tenuibus. 



lia Guayra. This has fine rich brownish purple sepals and petals, 



and a clear violet-purple lip. From S. crispa and marginata, it is distin- 

 guished by its very long narrow crisp sepals and petals. The flowers 

 are as large as those of S. tibicinis, but the inflorescence is quite diffe- 

 rent. There is no yellow in them, and the lip is distinctly curved up 

 towards the column. Some fine specimens have been lately flowered by 

 Mrs. Lawrence, one of which has browner flowers, and the middle lobe 

 of the lip wedge-shaped and obtuse, not oval and acute ; but they do 

 not otherwise seem to differ. The very long narrow crisp sepals and 

 petals render this very obviously different from the two last, which it 

 quite resembles in habit. 



4. S. tibicinis (Bateman. Orch. Mex & Guat. t. 30. Lindl. in Bot. Reg. 1841. 



misc. 119. Epidendrum tibicinis, Bateman in Bot. Reg. 1838. misc. 

 12.); pseudobulbis conicis corniformibus annulatis sulcatis 3-phyllis, 

 foliis oblongis coriaceis patentibus, scapo longissimo tereti distanter 

 squamato apice paniculato, panicula pyramidali laxiflora, sepalis petalis- 

 que undulatis crispis, labello oblongo cucullato venis per medium 5 ele- 

 vatis approximatis : laciniis lateralibus apice rotundatis intermedia sub- 



rhombea emarginata, anthera emarginata. Honduras. This noble 



plant is the cow's-horn orchis of Honduras. The flowers when fuUy 

 expanded are about two and a half inches wide, deep pink speckled 

 with white on the outside, rich chocolate red within. The lip is white 

 in the middle, but deep rose-colour at the sides, with a short chocolate- 

 red middle lobe. The flowering stem is eight or nine feet long. Its 

 pseudo-bulbs, between one and two feet long, are quite hollow, and as 

 smooth inside as the chamber of a Bamboo ; at their base there is always 

 a small hole, which leads to the interior, and furnishes access to colonies 

 of ants, which are constantly found inhabiting the plant. 



