23 



concerning the plant, which is known about London under 

 the erroneous name of Sida pulchella. It bore the winters 

 well up to the present severe season ; but is probably now 

 killed every where. 



That it is different from Sir W. Hooker's Plagianthus 

 sidoidcs, Bot. Mag. t. 3396, is certain ; for the styles are ex- 

 tremely short instead of projecting beyond the stamens ; and 

 the petals are much longer than the calyx. 1 am however 

 by no means certain that it is a distinct species; on the con- 

 trary it is quite possible that it may be the male of a dioecious 

 species, P. sidoides being the female. 



With regard to the genus, I have followed Sir W. Hooker 

 in referring it to Plagianthus, not liking to disturb a received 

 name without being able to improve it. But I am quite 

 persuaded that it really belongs to some very different 

 genus ; a point which can be only satisfactorily settled when 

 the fruit shall be known. 



26. MAXILLARIA variabiles ; var. unipunctata. 



M. var. unipunctata ; caule ascendente squamato, pseudobulbis ovalibus com- 

 pressis monophyllis, foliis ligulatis obtusis apice oblique emarginatis, floribus 

 solitariis pedicellis pseudobulborum longitudine, sepalis lineari-oblongis acutis 

 subaequalibus lateralibus basi parum productis, petalis conformibus paulo 

 brevioribus, labello oblongo retuso obsolete trilobo apice carnoso : glandula 

 succulenta sanguinea obtusa in medio. 



" A plant of this singular little epiphyte was, with 

 others, received from the Horticultural Society in March, 

 1837, by Sir Charles Lemon, Bart, in whose collection it 

 flowered in January, 1838. 



" Stem creeping, covered with numerous sheathing, 

 acute, deep brown scales. Pseudo-bulbs ovate-oblong, thick 

 and fleshy, from one to two inches in length, and about half 

 an inch in breadth, one-leaved. Leaves nearly erect, thin 

 and flat, ligulate-lanceolate, dark shining green, from four 

 to five inches long, and three-eighths or half an inch broad, 

 a little compressed and narrowed at the base, with an oblique, 

 obtuse, emarginate point. Scape one-flowered, very short, 

 almost hid by the sheathing scales. Peduncle round, slightly 

 striated, nearly an inch long, pale green. Flowers deep 



