52 



DENDROBIUM discolor 



Dull-coloured Dendrobium. 



GYNANDRIA MONANDRIA. 



Nat. ord. OrchidacejE, § Malaxed. 

 DENDROBIUM. Botanical Register, vol. \5.fol. 1291. 



§ Onychium : caulibus erectis basi incrassatis. 



D. discolor; caulibus erectis fusiformibus, foliis oblangis obtuse emarginatis 

 disticbis, racemo terniinali multifloro, sepalis petalisque lineari-oblongis 

 patulis crispis, labelli crenulati lobis lateralibus acutis intermedio lanceo- 

 lato acuto : lamellis 5 undulatis. Lindley in Bot. Reg. 1841. misc. 50. 

 Lodd. cat. ed. ult. no. 323. 



Caulis erectus, A-pedalis et ultra, in racemum longum strictum productus, 

 basi squamatus, paulo altihs fusiformis, dein annulatus, apice foliosus. Folia 

 oblong a, emarginata, obtusa, patentia, coriacea, disticha. Racemus strictus, 

 multiflorus, purpureas, flexuosus; bracteis brevibus acutis. Flores 10-16 in 

 omni racemo, inter majores, horizontales. Sepala et Petala conformia, lineari- 

 lanceolata, patentia, undulato-crispa, fusco-aurantiaca, margine pallidiora. 

 Labelluru pallidius, in cornu brevi emarginato productum, ovato-oblongum, con- 

 cavum, trilobum ; laciniis lateralibus erectis acutis, intermedia lanceolatd midtb 

 angustiore, acuminata, recurvd, omnibus subcremdatis seu crisjjatis ; lamellae 5, 

 erectcB, undulatce, paralleled, contiguce, pallide violacece medium occupant, qua- 

 rum laterales breviores, intermedia ad lacinice intermedia dimidiam flexuose 

 producitur. Columna brevis emarginata, antherd infra columnce humeros 



A native of Java, whence Messrs. Loddiges obtained 

 plants in 1838 ; it does not however appear to be included 

 among those known to Dr. Blume, to whose genus Onychium 

 it belongs. It has a most singular appearance, with stout 

 erect stems four feet high, swollen in the middle, and terminal 

 racemes of about 16 dingy yellowish brown flowers, as much 

 curled and wavy as those of a Gloriosa. The lip has the same 

 dull dirty colour, except along the middle, where it is deco- 

 rated with five deep wavy plates of a light violet. 



