SOBEALIA. 573 



leaves, a foot and a half long, acute at top, and furrowed on 

 the inner face. The scapes are erect, each hearing one 

 flower, which has oblong spreading sharply acuminate sepals 

 and petals of a pale yellow green irregularly blotched with 

 dark brown, and a large obovate cucullate hp, white marked 

 with flesh-coloured longitudinal spots, downy inside, and 

 having an oblong crest, three-toothed in front. The plant is 

 very much like S. Steelii, only the flowers of S. Hadiccnii 

 are more erect, and the scape is an inch or two higher. — 

 Brazil. 



Fig.— Bot. Mag., t. 4629 ; More des Serres, t. 731. 

 Stn. — Bifrenaria Eadwenii, 



S. Steelii, Lindley. — A handsome epiphytal plant of peculiar 

 habit. The branching rhizome, which is ebulbous, bears on 

 each branch a solitary terete channelled flagelliform leaf as 

 thick as a swan's quill and two to four feet long, tapering 

 to a fine point. The scape is one to three-flowered, the 

 flowers large, fragrant, pale primrose yellow blotched with 

 reddish brown, and the lip is three-lobed, pale yellow, striately 

 marked with brownish crimson, especially on the lateral lobes, 

 the crest being oblong with three orange-coloured teeth in 

 front. It produces its blossoms at difierent times of the year, 

 lasting a long time in perfection. — British Guiana. 



Fig.— Bot. Reg., t. 1986 ; Orchid Album, ii. t. 55 ; Bot. Mag., t. 3573. 

 &ys.—MaxiUaria Steelii. 



SOBEALIA, FiUiz and Pa von. 

 {Tribe Neottiese, subtribe Yanillese.) 



This genus contains some very handsome species which 

 are quite distinct from most other Orchids in habit and general 

 aspect. They are all strong free-growing terrestrial plants, 

 the long slender reed-like stems furnished with dark green 

 plaited sheathing leaves, and bearing at their summit large 

 showy flowers, as many as six or more being produced from a 

 single stem, but rarely having more than one expanded at one 

 time. The blossoms in most of the species are very large 

 and brilliantly-coloured ; and, although individually they 

 last but a short time, this is compensated for by the quick 



