CHAPTER -LVITL. 
SCUTICARIA. 
THE two or three species which constitute this genus are 
amongst the most interesting and remarkable of all Orchids. 
Very closely allied in the construction of their flowers to 
Maxillaria, they are totally distinct in their long, pendent, 
terete, whip-like leaves, and short, ringed stems. The 
flowers, which are large and strikingly handsome, occur on 
short stalks, not more than two or three together; the 
large sepals and somewhat smaller petals are spreading, 
the bases of the two lower sepals being united to form a 
chin. The lip is concave, trilobed, differently coloured to 
the rest of the flower. The species are natives of tropical 
South America. 
Culture.—Scuticarias are found in a natural state 
growing upon trees, and they prove most satisfactory under 
cultivation when treated as epiphytes. They should be 
fastened on blocks of teak, or, even better, on pieces of 
soft fern-stem; as they root freely, the blocks should be 
large. Indeed, for all Orchids grown in this manner, no 
greater mistake can be made than to use small blocks. 
Nothing can be gained: the plants require much more 
attention in watering, and even in spite of this they are 
very liable to be injured by dryness. S. Hadwenii thrives 
in an intermediate house: the others should have a place in 
2G2 
