BLETIA 



ORCHIDES. 325 



crenulatu?, crispulus, gynoslemium breve, medio angulato alatum , alae 

 in dentes ohliquos lalerales androclinii excurrentes, dens posticus li- 

 gulalus inflexus, roslelli proccssus quadratus porreclus. 

 Habitus Laeliae crispae. Cultur iler Herren J. Booth und Sohne. 



Laelia Boothima Rchb. til. in Otio u. Dietrich Allg. Glz. 1855. 322. 



aff. Laeliae grandi flore tenuissime membranaceo duplo majori, tepa- 

 lis cuneato obiongis minute crispis quam sepala duplo latioribus. la- 

 belli lobis loteraiibus obtusatis , lobo medio oblongo obtuso retuso, 

 omnino crispuio, disco laevi; gyno.stemio valido utrinque medio acutan- 

 gulo; androclinii lobo postico crenulato, lobis lateralibus falcalis. 



1854 bluhte diese bei Herren Booth aus Brasilien eingcfiihrte Pflanze zuerst : sie 

 brachte einen Stiel mit drei Bliithen \on dem schonsten Purpur, jede so gross, wie die 

 die einer grossen Caltleya labiata Lindl. Diese stolze Laelia, eine wiirdige und el)en- 

 burtige Rivalin der Laeh'a purpurala, widmen wir als Beweis der nochachiung und 

 Dankbarkeit unserm Freunde, Herrn Lorenz 'Booth. 



22. BLETtA XANTHL\A. Laelia xanthina Lindl. in Hook B. Mag. 5144. 

 Obs. Huc pertinebit planta mihi penitus dubia : 



Laelia virens Lindl. B. Reg. XXX. 1844. Misc. 

 Sepalis suberectis ovatis petalisque lanceolatis subaequalibus, la- 

 bello oblongo obsolete trilobo cucullato apice ovato crispo linea obso- 

 leta elevata versus basin, columnae cardine unidentato. 



Brazilian plant . of which I have only seen a single flower. Mr. Loddiges, whoTe 

 mimber 647 it is. informs me, that it Js quite the habit of Catlleya crispa. The flow- 

 . ers are very pale yellowish green , of no beauty, and about the size of Maxillaria 

 alba which ihey are smelling like. The number of poUen masses is certainly 

 eigbt, which makes ihe plant a Laelia and not a Cattleya. 



b. Labellum carinatum. (excl. N. 26.) 



23. BLETIA PRAESTANS. Laelia praestans Rchb. fll. in K. Koch Berl. Allg. Gtz. 1857. 

 p. 336. 



24. BLETIA RUBESCENS. Laelia rubcscens Lindl. B. Reg. XXVL 1840. Misc. 25. 

 Pseudobulbis subrotundis compressis utrinque angulo elevato , foliis 



oblongis obtusis scapo tereti vaginato brevioribiis , racemo multifloro, 

 bracteis pubescentibus ovario plus duplo brevioribus, sepalis linearibus, 

 pelalis lanceolatis subuiidulatis, labello conformi auriculato medio pu- 

 bescente: lineis duabus elevalis. 



Mr. Barker purchased it some time ago from Mr. Joseph Knight, Nursery man in the 

 kings Road. Mexico ? Is forms a patch of i-oundish compo.sed, pseudobulbs looking 

 like those of a Maxillaria and bearing each a single broad leaf much shorter than 

 the slcnder termiiial scape. Thc laltcr is about a foot long, and bears at its extre- 

 mity a loose raceme of delicate whilish flowers tinged with pink, and about the 

 size of ihose of L. albida. The two flrst flowers which opcned with Mr. Barker 

 exhibited a singularly monstruous structure. with only 2 sepals and 2 petals . the lip 

 and one of ihe sepals being missing; all the oiher parts were in the usual state. 



B. Rcg. XXVI. 1840. ib. 41. 

 Pseudobulbi oblongi, compresse tetragoni, vix se.squiunciam longi. 

 Folium solitarium, coriaceum, oblongum, planiusculum, quasi emargina- 

 lum, scapo gracili erecto squamato multo brevius Racemus brevis, multiflo- 

 rus. Rracteae lineares, marcescentes, ovario plus duplo brcviores, carinatae, 

 pilis brevissirais minutissimis fasciculatis pubescentes. Flores L. primulina 

 paulo minores et minus patentes. Sepala linearia, obtusa , pollicaria, basi 

 rubescentia, apice virescenlia, rccta, petala paululum longiora. Petala 



IV. ' 54 



