6 THE GOLDEN SWAN-ORCHIS. 
work we are told how the long-spiked small purple-flowered C. Egertonianum is only the short-spiked 
green-flowered C. ventricosum ; how the same plant at one time bears one sort of flowers, and at 
another time another sort; and we have ourselves shown how the same plant, nay the same spike; 
is sometimes both the one, the other, and neither. C. Eyertonianum is then a * sport,’ as gardeners 
say, of C. ventricosum. 
» But what again is C. ventricosum? Who knows that it is not another ‘sport’ of C. Loddigesii, 
which has indeed been caught in the very act of showing a false countenance, something wonderfully 
suspicious, all things considered, and justifying the idea that it is itself a mere Janus, whose face is 
green and short on one side, and spotted and long on the other. 
“Then, if such apparently honest species as C. Zgertonianum, ventricosum, and Loddigesii ave but 
counterfeits, what warrant have we for regarding the other so-called species as not being further 
examples of plants in masquerade? For ourselves we cannot answer the question: nor should we 
be astonished at finding some day a Cycnoches no longer a Cycnoches, but something else; perhaps 
a Catasetum. If one could accept the doctrine of the author of the * Vestiges, it might be said 
that in this place we have found plants actually undergoing the changes which he assumes to be in 
progress throughout nature, and that they are thus subject to the most startling conditions only 
because their new forms have not yet acquired stability." 
Since we have space for the purpose, we avail ourselves of the opportunity to give a list of the 
known forms of this strange genus. 
SO-CALLED SPECIES OF CYCNOCHES. 
* Lip perfectly entire, fleshy, without a es. 
1. C. Loddigesii Lindl. Gen. عل‎ Sp. Orch., p. 154 ; Bot. Cab., t. 2000 ; Bot. Reg., t. 1742.— Surinam.— Flowers. very 
large, fragrant, green and purple, with a white spotted lip. Sports by producing smaller broad-lipped flowers without 
scent, and with a very short eucullate elub-shaped column. This is the original state of the genus. 
2. C. ventricosum Bateman Orch. Mex. & la, t. 5.—Guatemala,— Flowers large, green, with a white lip. 
Sports to Egertonianwm ; and even towards the cucullate form of C. Loddigesii, هه‎ was ascertained by Sir P. Egerton, 
in 1849, 
3. C. ehlorochilon Klotzsch ; Sertum Orchidaceum, t. 16.— Maracaybo.— Flowers very large, green, whole-coloured. 
Has not been observed to sport ; but is probably a mere variety of C. ventricosum. 
* * Lip having the edge broken up into fleshy appendages. 
4. C, pentadactylon Lindl. in Bot. Reg., 1843, misc. 26, t, 22. — Brazil.— Flowers large, yellowish green, banded with 
brown, In the garden of Mr. Kenrick, of West Bromwich, this produced two flowers of Egertonianum, among the 
usual flowers peculiar to itself, Sept. 12, 1851. 
. C. aureum Lindl. in Paxt. Fl. Garden, t. 75.—Central America, —Flowers large, clear pale yellow. Has not been 
yet observed to sport. 
6. C. maculatum Lindl. in Bot. Reg., 1840, mise, 8 ; Sertum Orchidaceum, t. 33.— Mexico? La Guayra.— Flowers 
small, yellow, spotted with brown. Has not been observed to sport. 
7. C. Egertonianum Bateman Orch. Mex. & Guatemala, t. 40 ; Bot. Reg., 1846, t. 46.— Guatemala and Mexico.— 
Flowers small, purple or greenish, unspotted. Sports to Ventricosum, and to Pentadactylon. 
* * * Lip three-lobed, membranous, without appendages, 
8. C. Peseatorei Lindl. in Paxt. Fl. Gard., no. 174 ; aliàs Acineta glauca Linden.—New Grenada.—Flowers yellow 
and brown, in a long pendulous raceme, Has not been observed to : 
9. C. barbatum Lindl. in Journ. of Hort. Soc., vol. iv. ; Bot. Mag., t. 4479.— New Grenada, and Costa Rica.—Flowers 
soft delicate flesh-colour, spotted with red. Has not been seen to sport. 
