43 



distinctly bilabiate corolla, and whole habit. The name 

 Becium, one of the ancient appellations of the Sage {(Stjklou) 

 may be taken for it. 



BECIUM. Calyx bilabiatus ; labio superiore dilatato decurrente inferiore 

 truncato pilis brevissimis dense ciliato apice biseto. Corolla bilabiata, 

 tubo recto calyce longiore intus pubescente, labiis sequalibus superiore 

 3-lobo lacinia media fissa convexo apice et margine revoluto inferiore ob- 

 longo concavo. Stamina libera, longissima, declinata, ante anthesin 

 cum stylo circinata ; suprema basi dilatata villosa inferiora Isevia filifor- 

 mia; antlierae ovatee, obtusse, glabrae. Ovarium disco 4-dentato omnino 

 immersum. Stigma 2-lobum laciniis subvdatis, 

 Sp. 1. Becium bicolor. Frutex pubescens. Folia ovato-lanccolata, ser- 

 rata, impunctata. Verticillastri subbiflori, spicati, bracteis cordatls un- 

 dulatis acuminatis deciduis coloratis calyce longioribus. Corolla alba 

 veuis lilacinis. Stamina lilacina. 



45. BARKERIA spectabilis. 

 Bateman in litteris. 



B. spectabilis ; raccmo multifloro laxo, labeUo ovato -lanceolate tricarinato, 

 sepalis lineari-lanceolatis, petalis ovatis acuminatis. 



Under the name of Flor de Isabal this beautiful plant 

 forms one of the votive offerings of the Guatemalese. Mr. 

 Skinner long since sent living plants to England, and more 

 recently Mr. Hartweg, one of whose specimens has just 

 flowered in the garden of the Horticultural Society. It forms 

 a tuft of cylindrical stems about four or five inches high, each 

 of which bears two fleshy lanceolate acute leaves, separated 

 from each other by intervals of about an inch. The raceme 

 rises out of some brown dry sheaths, and in the plants that 

 have flowered bears about six most lovely nodding blossoms : 

 but according to a memorandum from Mr. Skinner now before 

 me it varies in length from three inches to a foot : and indeed 

 I possess a wild specimen from that gentlemen with as many 

 as twelve flowers in a raceme. The expanded flowers are 

 nearly three inches and a half wide, their colour is a bright 

 lilac ; the sepals are linear-lanceolate, the petals ovate- 

 lanceolate in form and unspotted : but the labellum is white 

 at the base and in the middle, lilac at the edge and point, 

 and richly marked with small blood-red spots. Along its 

 middle, below the column, are five purple lines, which pass 

 into three elevated colourless ridges, beyond the place where 

 the anther touches the lip. It is with Cattleyas, and such 

 beautiful plants that this charming species is worthy to be 

 arranged. 



