COMPARETTIA. 



225 



are small, and bear oblong leathery leaves, which are bright 

 green above and purplish beneath ; from the apex of the 

 young growing bulbs issues a slender terminal scape support- 

 ing a nodding raceme of from three to seven brilliant scarlet 

 and orange flowers, rendered more conspicuous by their broad 

 flat obcordatc lip, and their very long subulate spur. It blooms 

 during the months of November and December ; and is doubly 

 valuable at this season on account of its brilliant colours. — 

 Mexico, Brazil. 



li'lGr.—Bot. Reg., 1838, t. 68 ; Maund, Bot , iv. t. 186 ; Illust. Hort., t. 

 472 ; Moore, III. Orch. PL, Comparettia, t. 1. 



C. falcata, Peep, et Endl. — A pretty plant, similar in habit to 

 C. coccinea. It has smooth oblong clustered pseudobulbs, 

 bearing each a solitary lanceolate leaf, and from the base of 

 the leaf a fihform pendent scape, with an open raceme of deep 

 crimson flowers, which have a broadly obcordate lip and a 

 subulate spur. It does not require great heat. — Peru. 

 Fig.— Bot. Mag., t. 4980 : Peep, et Endl, Nov, Gen., i. t. 73. 



C. macroplectron, Pichh. /. — This very handsome species is 

 exceedingly floriferous. It has small oblong truncate com- 

 pressed pseudobulbs, with the 

 angles rounded, and short bright 

 green oblong ligulate leaves. 

 The drooping flower spikes are 

 produced from the base of the 

 bulbs, and bear five or more 

 flowers. The sepals and petals 

 are rose colour, distinctly spotted 

 with rosy purple, while the lip, 

 which is very large in comparison 

 to the sepals and petals, is 



magenta rose, marked with a .fls^sf^^.^ W~]W. \ 

 few rosy purple spots at the - - - . i 



base and softening off towards 

 the margin. In addition to this ^^^^^^^^''^^ macroplectro^.- 

 the flowers are furnished with a spur about two inches long. 

 The blossoms are produced in July and August. We have 

 seen a fine specimen of this in the collection of F. A. 

 Philbrick, Esq., Q.C., Oldfield, Bickley, which bore several 

 spikes of its charming flowers. — New Grenada. 



Fig.— Orchid Album, ii. t. 65 ; Bot. Mag., t. 6679. 



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