ORCHIDACE.E 



Racemus laxiflorus. Bracteae inflorescentiae patentes, oblongo- 

 ovatae, valde concavae, obtusae. Pedicelli perlongi, distantes. 

 Flores magni, spectabiles; perianthium patens. Sepala oblongo- 

 ovalia, apice late rotundata. Petala late ovalia vel suborbiculari- 

 ovalia. Labellum multo minus, ilabellato-subquadratum, tri- 

 lobatum, in medio fasciculo carinarum trium parvarum; lobi 

 laterales triangulares, obtusi ; lobus medius ovato-lingulatus vel 

 ovato-triangularis, apice late rotundatus. Gynostemium erassum, 

 arcuatum. 



Plant very large and stout. Pseud obulbs apparently large and 

 very broadly ovoid. Leaves ±52 cm. long, 2.2 cm. broad near the 

 base, articulated with short, broadly triangular sheaths which rise 

 from the pseudobulb, linear-ligulate gradually narrowed to an 

 acute minutely complicate apex, complicate or conduplicate 

 below, coriaceous, many-nerved with the mid-nerve more or less 

 sulcate above and very conspicuous beneath and with about nine 

 nerves more or less prominent on the under side. Peduncle very 

 stout, apparently ±1 cm. thick. Raceme very loosely flowered. 

 Bracts of the inflorescence spreading, about 2.3 cm. long, 1.1 cm. 

 wide, oblong-ovate, strongly concave, obtuse. Pedicels of mature 

 flowers 7-10 cm. long, 2.3-13.2 cm. distant, ascending or becom- 

 ing slightly decurved. Flowers large and showy, perianth spread- 

 ing in development, about 6.5-7 cm. across, maculate. Sepals and 

 petals similar. Lateral sepals 3.1-3.5 cm. long, 1.65-2 cm. wide, 

 oblong-oval, broadly rounded above, with undulate margins. 

 Dorsal sepal about 3.4 cm. long, 2 cm. wide. Petals about 3.35 

 cm. long, 2.3 cm. wide, broader than the sepals, broadly oval to 

 suborbicular-oval. Lip much smaller, adnate to the column by a 

 very small fleshy conduplicate claw, three-lobed with the lateral 

 lobes erect and embracing the column, when spread out flabel- 

 late-subquadrate, broadly cordate-truncate at the base, about 



[211 J 



