16 



flowered some months ago. It is a beautiful species, with a 

 habit unlike that of any other genus hitherto discovered. It 

 first forms a tuft of two or three leaves, of an ovate lanceo- 

 late form and rigid texture, whose petiole is thin, folded 

 together in an equitant manner, and articulated with the 

 lamina. Subsequently in the middle of these leaves appears 

 a short branch, in the form of a pseudo-bulb, oval, thin, and 

 furrowed, on whose apex arise one, or occasionally two leaves, 

 like the first in form, but without the equitant petiole. The 

 plant having advanced to this point, and succeeded in esta- 

 blishing itself on the branch of a tree by means of numerous 

 fine rather stiff roots, it next produces, from the axil of one 

 of the lower leaves, a rigid stem, slender and as thick as a 

 crow's quill, which rises erect into the air, forming two or 

 three membranous sheaths upon its surface, and ceasing to 

 grow as soon as it has acquired the length of eight or ten 

 inches. At its apex it develops just such a tuft of leaves as 

 that from which it sprang ; and thus the plant continues to 

 live till the period of flowering has arrived. At that time 

 it emits from the axils of one of its lower leaves, a flowering 

 stem or scape, six or eight inches long, having a few distant 

 membranous scales ensheathing it, and bearing at the apex 

 a very short umbel-like raceme of several large drooping 

 white flowers, delicately tinged with pink. When the column 

 is deprived of all the parts that surrounded it, and so placed 

 as to be seen in front, it bears far more resemblance to a bat's 

 head and neck, than to any part of a flower. Travellers in 

 Brazil report this species to have a delicious scent of violets, 

 but it was not perceived in Messrs. Loddiges' specimen. 



SALEP ROOTS. 



About two years ago there was read before the Linnean 

 Society an account of the structure of the roots of the Common 

 Orchis. In that paper the author showed that two opinions 

 exist as to the nature of the matter the roots contain ; 

 that Berzelius asserts them to consist principally of vegetable 

 mucus; while Payen refers their contents to starch. In inves- 

 tigating this point the author ascertained, firstly, that Berze- 

 lius was right — and, secondly, that the mucilaginous matter 

 was of a horny substance, of the nature of bassorin, and de- 



