mill, long ; petals reclinate, roundish oblong in the lower part, 

 then suddenly bent upward at a right angle and dilated, the 

 rounded cuneate extremities forming together a green eye-like 

 centre to the flower ; lip oblong obtuse waved spreading, at 

 length angularly revolute ; anther reclinate ; gland most usually 

 single oblong, longer than wide (or more rarely 2) ; rostellum 3- 

 cleft erect ; ovary clavate-cylindrical, 1-1*2 cm. long. 



Described from numerous living specimens. The sepals are 

 an intensely bright and beautiful blue ; the petals usually purple 

 below, with a bright green upper limb ; lip pale blue or white, 

 edged with dark blue or purple. I have seen one plant with all 

 the flowers pure white, except that the petals and lip were edged 

 with a faint pink. Lindley described the flower as having two 

 pollinary glands. Eeichenbach (De Pollinis Orchidearum Genesi, 

 p. 31) found specimens with both one and two glands. Both 

 these writers dissected dried and soaked flowers only. I have 

 never been able to find more than one gland, although I have 

 examined very many plants. On this variation Eeichenbach 

 {he. cit.) observes : — There are either two (or three ?) genera 

 with exactly the same external appearance and different gyno- 

 stemia, or one genus with a 2- (or 3- ?) morphous g3aiosteme. 

 Lindley also describes a dorsal linear appendage, tuberculate on 

 either side, and situate in front of the anther. An inspection of 

 Lindley's drawing shows that this organ is that which I have 

 called the middle lobe of the rostellum ; while his middle lobe is 

 apparently a fold of the rostellum drawn out in the dissection of 

 the dried specimen, but which is quite invisible in the living 

 state. It is one of the commonest species within our limits, has 

 a rather long flowering period, and attracts universal observation 

 by its beauty and brilliancy ; so much so, that Lindley, in dedi- 

 cating it to the great astronomer, Herschel (who also was a great 

 orchid-lover and cultivator), felicitously speaks of it as " species 

 hsec pulcherrima colore coeli australis intense cseruleo superbiens." 

 It is very generally accompanied by D.ferruginea, Sivartz. Its 

 nearest ally seems to be D. imrpurasccns. The drawing from 

 which Ker's figure was taken was made at the Cape in Masson's 

 time, and in spite of repeated efforts it does not yet appear to 

 have been successfully grown in England. It may be expected 

 that this difficulty will eventually be conquered, and if so the 

 species will soon become deservedly popular amongst orchid 

 cultivators. Horticulturists will do well to remember that during 

 its flowering period in its native home the plant receives little or 

 no water to its roots, being dependent for moisture on what is 

 stored up in its large tuber, and upon the occasional mists which 

 envelop the mountain sides. 



