441 



is a picture of a type existiug- in I>amarck's own herl)arium. Those- 

 who have access to tliat ])ortrait will observe how closely it corres- 

 ponds with the portrait here tjiveii. 



Lastly as a coiitrilnition to the better imder.--tanding of the- 

 two species a third plate is added here showing the distinctive pose 

 of their leaves. 



I. H. BURKILL. 



HIBISCUS SABDARIFFA, VAR., ALTiSSIMA. 



In the (jiardens" Bulletin ojjposite p. 24^^ of part 7 of this 

 volume Hibiscus Sahd-ariffa^, var.. altissima was illustrated ; and the 

 remark was made on p. 243 that the fruits are too small and on 

 account of their hairs little suited for making jams and jellies. 



The variety is indeed a filire plant -and not a food plant, and 

 as such should be experimented with in this country. At a recent 

 date its fibre offered on the London market as Bimlipatam jute was 

 worth £415 per ton. 



Bimlipatam is a small ]>ort in the ]\Iadras ijresidency just south 

 of the great Bengal jute area, where Hibiscus cannahinus is the local 

 fibre plant and is grown plentifully in lines among other crops, 

 retted and the fibre marketed. The fibre is slightly stronger than 

 jute, but because the supply is used up along with jute gets the 

 same price as the first marks of jute. 



Hibiscus Sahdariffa being a s]3ecies closely allied to H. canna- 

 binus, it is not surprising to find in its tall variety altissinKv charac- 

 ters as to fibre which are common to both: and excellent fibre has 

 been prepared in the Eco-nomic Garden, Singapore, by Mr. Mathieu, 

 and valued in London, by the kindness of Professor W. K. Dunstan, 

 at the figure aljove. The process used was retting. 



I, H. BURKILL. 



ORCHID NOTES 



BULBOPHYLLUM LIMBATUM, Lindl. 



In 1S'40 Lindley described as Bulboplii/llvni Umhaduw a small 

 orchid which had been grown in Messrs. Loddiges' horticultural 

 establishment at Hackney, near London. He recorded its origin as 

 Singapore : and at the same place (Botanical Register, XXYI. 1840, 

 Misc. p .74) he described several other orchids from Singapore to 

 which the further record is added that they were " received from Mr. 

 Cuming."' These others are all well-known to grow wild in Singa- 

 pore : but B. limbatuin had not been iseen again until last .vear. 



Hugh Cuming was a great collector, who visited our coasts upon 

 liis way to and from the Philippine islands in 1835 and 1839. Al- 

 though it is not expressly stated in the Botanical Register, it ifi- 



