33 



* PHAIUS albus. 



White Phaius. 



GYNANDRIA MONANDRIA. 



Nat. ord. Orchidace^, § EpidendrEjE. 



PHAIUS. Lour. Sepala et petala subaequalia, patentia, libera. Label- 

 lum saepiOs cucullatum, cum basi columnar adnatum, calcaratum, integrum v. 

 trilobum, saspius supra carinatum lamellosum v. cristatum. Columna erecta, cum 

 ovario continua, semiteres, marginata, elongata. Anthera 8-locularis. Pol- 



linia 8, subaequalia. Herbas terrestres (Asiatics), caulescentes v. acaules, 



foWis lads p Heads. Scapi radicales. Flores speciosi. Gen. & sp. orcb. 126. 



P. albus; caulescens, foliis oblongo-lanceolatis acutis subtus glaucis, sepalis 

 petalisque oblongo-lanceolatis acutis subeequalibus, labello oblongo cucul- 

 lato denticulato apice rotundato : disco 5-cristato, calcare rectiusculo emar- 

 ginato (bracteis cucullatis berbaceis persistentibus imbricatis floribus oequa- 

 libus). Lindl. in Wallich plant, as. rar. 2. t. 198. gen. et sp. 

 orch. 128. 



This lovely plant was originally found by Dr. Wallich 

 upon Mount Chandaghiry in Nepal, growing on trees ; and 

 subsequently it was sent down from the frontiers of Silhet by 

 Francis de Silva, a collector in the pay of the Botanic Gar- 

 den, Calcutta. From drawings made in that establishment, 

 the figure in the Plantse asiaticae rariores was taken ; but 

 it must be confessed that it does not give a stranger a 

 correct idea of the beauty of the original, which ranks 

 among the most showy of the order. So indeed do all the 

 species of Phaius, if well grown ; the finest of which, P. 

 bicolor, a native of Ceylon, with yellow and pink flowers, is 

 still to introduce. 



In some respects the plant now figured, and that of Dr. 

 Wallich, are apparently so different, that some douht might 

 be entertained about their identity, if it were not for dried 



* From <f>aiu£ brown, in allusion to the colour of the original species. 



