224 



AERIDES 



St.: fls. borne in simple or compound lateral clusters; 

 sepals about equal, spreading, the dorsal broader than 

 the lateral; petals similar to the dorsal sepal; lip erect, 

 or bent in, attached to the foot of the column, spurred 

 at the base, the spur hollow; pollinia 2. Species 

 about 30, distributed from Malay Archipelago to India, 

 E. Asia and Japan. 



Nearly all the species of this genus are from the 

 East Indies and therefore require the warmhouse 

 treatment, with a minimum of 65 F. in winter. As 

 they have no pseudobulbs, but an erect, evergreen stem, 

 they must never be allowed to become perfectly dry. 

 Ample drainage of charcoal and broken pots is very 

 essential, with a surfacing of moss, preferably sphag- 

 num, renewed each year, the usual peat fiber being 

 omitted. The best-known species is A. odoratum and 

 is often seen in collections flowering freely. A. Field- 

 ingii is also an interesting plant, as the spikes grow to 

 the length of 18 inches, are dense-flowered, and known 

 as the "fox-brush orchid," the color being a beautiful 

 rose-pink. A. Lawrencise is another fine plant, from 

 the Philippines but not yet common in gardens. 

 Propagation is effected only by cutting off the top of 

 the plant and setting it down in another pot, and wait- 

 ing for the other part to send out shoots. The roots are 

 mostly aerial, and no attempt must be made to confine 

 these to the pots. If the size pot used is large, it should 

 be perforated at the sides to admit of a free circulation 

 of air. (Orpet.) 



INDEX. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 

 A. Lvs. flat, keeled. 



B. Middle lobe of the lip incurved between 



the larger lateral lobes. 

 c. Spur curved. 



v. Fls. 1 l /z in. long or less. 



E. Lateral lobes of the lip white. 

 F. Length of fls. 1 in. or more. 

 o. Lip not spotted or with 

 few spots; fls. crowded, 

 concealing the stem. ... 1. odoratum 

 oa. Lip usually much spotted; 

 fls. not crowded, reveal- 

 ing the stem 2. virens 



FF. Length of fls. less than 1 in.. 3. quinquevul- 

 EE. Lateral lobes of the lip lemon- [nerum 



yellow 4. suavissimum 



DD. Fls. exceeding 1% in. long 5. Lawrenciae 



cc. Spur straight. 



D. Raceme much longer than the Ivs.; 

 middle lobe of the lip mate-tri- 

 angular 6. Leanum 



DD. Racemes as long as the Ins.; mid- 

 dle lobe of the lip linear-oblong. 7. Savageanum 

 BB. Middle lobe of the lip spreading, not 



incurved. 

 c. Sts. long: hs. numerous, 6 in. or 



more long. 

 D. Lateral lobes of lip large, usually 



falcate or lunate. 

 E. Spur short, conic. 



F. Sepals and petals white .... 8. falcatum 

 FF. Sepals and petals tawny 



yellow 9. Houlletianum 



EE. Spur long, cylindric. 



F. Shape of spur straight 10. Augustianum 



FF. Shape of spur recurved or 



hooked 11. crassifolium 



AERIDES 



DD. Lateral lobes of lip smaller or 



wanting. 



E. Racemes drooping or pendulous. 

 F. Middle lobe of lip entire. 

 Q. The spur straight. 



H. The middle lobe of lip 



cordate, obtuse 12. multiflorum 



HH. The middle lobe of lip 



deltoid, acuminate . . 13. Fieldingii 

 oa. The spur incurved or 



hooked 14. maculosum 



FF. Middle lobe of lip serrate; 



lateral lobes small 15. crispum 



EE. Racemes erect or ascending. . .16. radicosum 

 cc. Sts. short: Ivs. few, 4 in. long or 



'ess 17. japonicum 



AA. Lvs. terete or semiterete, grooved on the 



upper surface. 



B. Fls. few, white, 2 in. or more, across. . 18. vandarum 

 BB. Fls. numerous, less than 1 in. across, 



the lip violet 19. mitratum 



1. odoratum, Lour. (A. cornutum, Roxbg.). Fig. 132. 

 Lvs. 6-8 in. long, up to 2 in. broad : racemes nodding, 

 equaling or longer than the Ivs. ; fls. about 1 in. long, 

 fragrant; sepals and petals white, with a carmine spot 



at the obtuse apex, the 

 petals narrower than 

 the sepals; lateral lobes 

 of the lip erect, round- 

 oblong, white, or 

 faintly tinged with 

 purple, and somewhat 

 spotted; middle lobe 

 of the lip linear-oblong, 

 denticulate or entire, 

 white, with a median 

 purple line. India 

 to Cochin China. 

 B.M. 4139. Gn. 49, 

 p. 158. F.C. 2:75. 

 O.R. 6:273; 8:217. 

 Var. birmanicum, 

 Reichb. f. Fls. 

 smaller, with lines 

 instead of apical 

 spots, and the 

 narrow middle lobe 

 of the lip with 

 few marginal 

 teeth. Var. pur- 

 purascens, Hort. 

 Racemes larger, 

 and the sepals 

 and petals 

 tipped with dull amethyst. G.C. II. 16:597. Var. 

 majus, Hort. Racemes and fls. larger. 



2. virens, Lindl. Lvs. up to 10 in. long and 1% ' n - 

 broad: racemes longer than the Ivs.; fls. over 1 in. long, 

 fragrant; sepals and petals white, with a bright purple 

 apical spot, broadly oval, obtuse; lip deeply 3-lobed, the 

 oblong lateral lobes much the larger, erect, white, 

 purple-spotted below, the middle lobe oblong, small, 

 incurved, purple, or white with a median purple stripe; 

 spur , green-tipped. Java. P.M. 14:197. U.K. 30:41. 

 Var. Ellisii, Hort. (A.Sllisii, Hort.). Sepals and petals 

 white, flushed with rose, the tips amethyst-purple, yar. 

 Dayanum, Hort. Racemes longer, with large bright 

 fls. Var. Sanderas, Hort. A form in which the fls. are 

 pure white. 



3. quinquevulrerum, Lindl. Lvs. up to 1 ft. long and 

 \Yl in. broad: racemes commonly longer than the Ivs.; 

 fls. usually less than 1 in. long; sepals and petals obtuse, 

 oval-oblong, white, tipped with amethyst and with a 

 few purple spots below; lip 3-lobed, the erect lateral 

 lobes triangular-oblong, white, faintly purple-dotted, 

 the middle lobe oblong, deep amethyst, the spur 

 incurved green. Philippine IsLs. P.M. 8:241. Var. 



