17 



which, however, so far as I have observed, are never fertilized ; 

 and the stigmas are smaller than in the fertile plant, and not 

 papillose. In the other or fertile form, both the stamens and 

 the petals are in an abortive or rudimentary state, and being 

 shorter than the sepals, and concealed by them in dried speci- 

 mens, are readily overlooked ; the stigmas are large, truncate, 

 and papillose, and a portion of the ovules become fertile. 



15. American Quackery We had frequently been told 



of an antidote to the bite of the Battle-snake and Copper-head 

 (not unfrequent throughout this region,) which is thought to 

 possess wonderful efficacy, called Turmans Snake-root, after 

 an ' Indian Doctor,' who first employed it ; the plant was 

 brought to us by a man who was ready to attest its virtues 

 from his personal knowledge, and proved to be the Silene 

 stellata ! Its use was suggested by the markings of the root 

 beneath the bark, in which these people find a fancied resem- 

 blance to the skin of the Rattle-snake. Nearly all the reputed 

 antidotes are equally inert ; such herbs as Impatiens pallida, 

 &c. being sometimes employed; so that we are led to conclude 

 that the bite of these reptiles is seldom fatal, or even very 

 dangerous, in these cooler portions of the country. 



15. ONCIDIUM ensatiim. 



0. ensatum ; pseudobulbis subrotundis compressis, foliis eusiformibus strictis 

 carinatis, panicula lougissima niultiflora, bracteis membranaceis acutis 

 canaliculatis, sepalis petalisque lanceolatis acuminatis subundulatis (oli- 

 vaceis luteo-marginatis), labello (luteo) reniformi cmarginato basi auri- 

 culato (disco olivaceo), crista pubescente subseptemtuberculato tuberculis 

 elongatis, columnae alis emarginatis utrinque acutis. 



A Guatemala plant with singular long sword-shaped erect 

 leaves, and a panicle like that of O. altissimum. The flowers 

 are yellow in the lip, and on the border of the segments, but 

 olive brown in the middle of the lip and the face of the seg- 

 ments. It is a very fine looking plant, the panicle being as 

 much as eight feet long. The downy crest of the lip, with its 

 long tubercles, forms a more obvious mark of distinction than 

 anything else in the flower. Messrs. Loddiges have blos- 

 somed it. 



