CORYANTHES. 



ORCHIDES. 597 



basi cornubus 2 melliferis (staminodiis?) aucta. Stigma rima transversa. 



Pollinia 2, compressa, postice sulcata; caudicula lineari, sigmoidea; 



glandula lunata. Antli era carnosa , bilocularis; valvulis triangularibus 



reflexis. Herbae epiphyfae Americae tropicae, pseudobulbosae. Folia 



nervosa. Racemi radicales, pauciflori, penduli. 



This genus Iias the largest flowers known among Orchids; and it is , perhaps, 

 the niost extraordinary in ils form. AU ihe species are epiphytes. wilh long strongly- 

 furrowed pseudobulbs, bearing thin ribbed leaves , which vary in breadth with the 

 age and beallh of the plants. The flowers hang down, singly or in greater numbers, 

 in the same manner as in Stanhopea, to which the genus bears some relation. 

 Their most striking features are the column and lip . which are guarded by thin 

 broad membranous sepals ihat are unable to bear their own weight, and , after a 

 time, resembie bai's wings, soon coUapsing and losing their form. The lip has the 

 form of a bucket, inio which a pair of stumps or flngers consiantly distil a sweetish 

 colourless fluid , which , drop by drop , gradually fills the bucket. The flngers are 

 processes (perhaps aborlive stamens) springing from the base of the column ; the 

 bucket is sustained by a stifl" arm (unguis), which keeps it perfectly steady, so that the 

 honey may not be spilt. The column itself turns back as if to keep its head out of 

 ihe way of the drops. The use of this singular apparatus is unknown. 



1. CORYANTHES SPECIOSA. Hooker 1. c. Paxion's FI. G. III. n. 581. flg. 284. Morren 

 Adh. Gand. II. 15. t. 50 : 



C. hypochiljo hemisphaerico antice pubescente ungui aecjuali, me- 

 sochilio eplicato intus pubescente, epichilio hemisphaerico obtuso mar- 

 gine erectiusculo lobis lateraUbus aculis. 



Gongora speciosa Hooker in Bot. Mag. t. 2755. 



VVild in Brazil. On trees on Victoria Hill near Bahia. 



This , ihe flrst of the Coryanths, ihat was discovered, was originally supposed to 

 have erect Dowers , and is so represented in the „BotanicaI Magazine"; but in fact 

 they are pendulous, and necessarily so , as in ali ihe others. The flowers are pale 

 dull yellow, without any trace of spots ; there is also a whitish variety in cultivation. 

 Their smell is raiher unpleasant. It is by no means easy to disiinguish this frora 

 C. maculata , except by the spots on the flowers of the latter species. The hood 

 afl^ords ihe surest mark of recognition , being almost exaclly hemispherical in this 

 and disiinctly curved forwards in maculala. A variety with deeper yellow flowers 

 is flgured by Prof. Morren , in the work above quoted, under the name of C. spe- 

 ciosa vilellina. 



Obs. Cl. Lindley haec omisit: Coryanthes speciosa var. alba ,Bot. Reg. XXVI. 

 1840. Misc. 75:; a pale , almost while variety of this exlraordinary plant has lately 

 flowered in the collection of T. Brocklehurst, who obtained it from Demerara. The 

 appearanee of the plant is described us being intermediate between C. macrantha 

 and maculata. — Coryanthes speciosa var. Bat. Orch. Mex. Guat. 1842. 36 : Perigo- 

 nium brunneum, violaceo pictum. Tepala aquose coerulea coeruleo raaculata. Unguis 

 purpurascens. Hypochilium flavum. Epichilium exlus purpureuili , intus pallide flavo 

 purpureoque maculatuni.— Kon liquet, nonne potius ad sequentem pertineat. Cupula 

 forsan minus exacte picta. — Epidendrum galeutum Vellozo FI. Flum. IX. t. 3. — 



Rchb. fll. 



2. CORYANTHES MACULATA Hooker in Bot. Mag. t. 3102 : 



C» hypochilio hemisphaerico galeato antice puberulo ungui aequali, 

 mesochilio eplicato inlus Iaevi(?), epichilio hemisphaerico obtuso mar- 

 gine erectiusculo lobis lateralibus aculis. 



A. Sepals and peials whole-coloured pale yellow; hood yellow; bucket blotcbed 

 insidc with violet. — Boi. Mag. 3102. 



