2554 



PERISTERIA 



PERISTROPHE 



spikes tall, erect or hanging; fls. nearly globular or cup- 

 shaped, of a waxy texture, with broad concave segms. 

 The genus is distinguished from the related genera 

 Acineta, Lacaena, Gongora, and the like, by the curious 

 shape of the labellum and 

 column. The base of the 

 labellum (hypochil) is 

 united with the column by 

 broad wings (pleuridia). 

 The upper part of the 

 labellum (epichil) is mov- 

 ably joined to the hypo- 

 chil. Five species, of 

 which 2 are commonly 

 cult. 



The chief factors in 

 growing peristerias are 

 moisture during the grow- 

 ing period, the ideal loca- 

 tion being in proximity 

 to water, in a temperature 

 of 65 to 70 F., and a 

 decided rest when growth 

 is completed. The grow- 

 ing medium should consist 

 of two-thirds fibrous sod 

 soil and one-third peat 

 and sand, an addition of 

 dried cow-manure being 

 beneficial. The pots should 

 be well supplied with 

 drainage. When the plant 

 is growing freely, water 

 occasionally with organic 

 fertilizer until the growth 

 is completed. Then reduce 

 the water-supply to induce 

 flowering when the young 

 growth appears. An ex- 

 cellent specimen of P. elata 

 in the Missouri Botanical 

 Garden recently produced 

 a flower-spike 3 feet 6 

 inches high and produced 

 twenty well-formed flow- 

 ers. From the first ap- 

 pearance of the spike until 

 the last flower opened, 

 covered a period of three 

 and a half months. This 

 noteworthy specimen was 

 grown over a tank of water, hi a house of miscellaneous 

 warmhouse plants, and organic manure was given freely 

 during growth. The plant, was then transferred to the 

 cactus house to rest, enough water was given to prevent 

 shriveling of the pseudobulbs, until the young growth 

 appeared bearing a well-formed flower-spike: it was 

 again transferred to its former position and watered 

 freely to develop the spike. (G. H. Pring.) 



elata, Hook. DOVE-FLOWER. HOLY-GHOST-FLOWER. 

 Fig. 2871. Pseudobulbs 4-5 in. high, bearing several 

 strongly veined Ivs. 2-3 ft. high: fl.-st. 3-4 ft. high; 

 fls. in a raceme covering about one-third the length of 

 the fl. -stalk, cup-shaped, creamy white, wax-like and 

 fragrant, 2 in. across; sepals broadly ovate to rotund; 

 petals more delicate; labellum fleshy, broadly obovate, 

 truncate, sprinkled with deep purple; column with large, 

 curious wings, supposed to bear resemblance to a dove. 

 June-Sept. Panama. B.M. 3116. Gng. 5:151. V. 

 8:163. Gn. 12, p. 153; 30, p. 574; 42, p. 324. R.H. 

 1876, p. 133; 1877:110. The labellum and wings of 

 the column are sometimes spotted with purple. Intro, 

 into cult, in 1826. 



pendula, Hook. Pseudobulbs ovate-oblong, 4-5 in. 

 high, bearing lanceolate, strongly veined Ivs.: scape 



2871. Peristeria elata. Holy 

 Ghost plant. (Flower 



pendulous, from the base of the pseudobulb, bearing as 

 many as 20 fls.; fls. globular in outline, 1H in. across, 

 fragrant, greenish white outside, tinged with rose and 

 thickly dotted with purple within; sepals roundish con- 

 cave, united at base; petals rather smaller; labellum 

 fleshy, curiously shaped, inclosed within the fl. Guiana. 

 B.M. 3479. G.C. II. 25:116. Requires tropical treat- 

 ment, but rarely flowers in cult. 



cerina, Lindl. Pseudobulbs oblong-ovoid, up to 3 in. 

 long, 3-4-lvd.: Ivs. oblong-lanceolate, up to 1 ft. long: 

 scape pendulous, short, bearing a dense raceme of 6-10 

 fls.; fls. about 1 in. across, pale lemon-yellow, waxy; 

 sepals and petals broadly ovate, concave; lip 3-lobed, 

 the acute lateral lobes ovate, the midlobe emarginate, 

 inflexed, the margin crisped. Cent. Amer. B.R. 1953. 



P. dspera, Rolfe. Pseudobulbs ovoid-oblong: racemes dense, 

 8-10-fld.; fls. light brownish yellow, densely spotted with reddish 

 brown, the front lobe of lip brownish crimson; sepals and petals 

 elliptic-oblong, obtusish. Venezuela. L. 267. P. Hiimboldtii, LindL 

 =Acineta. GEORGE V. NASH.f 



PERISTROPHE (Greek, peri, around, and strophos, 

 belt; alluding to the involucre). Acanthaceas. Green- 

 house plants, grown for the bloom. 



Erect, branched or loosely creeping herbs or half- 

 shrubby: Ivs. entire: fls. solitary or in clusters of 2-3 

 surrounded by an involucre, in loose cymes or cymose 

 panicles, or distant on slender branches; bracts of the 

 involucre narrow; calyx deeply 5-parted, shorter than 

 the bracts, scariose or hyaline; corolla-tube long, slen- 

 der, slightly enlarged above, limb deeply bilabiate, the 

 posterior lip narrow, erect, concave, entire or emargi- 

 nate, lower lip spreading, apex 3-parted; stamens 2, a 

 little shorter than the corolla-lips; anthers 2-celled; 

 sterile stamens none; style filiform: caps, oblong, con- 

 tracted into a solid stalk. About 15 species, ranging 

 from Trop. Afr. and India to the Malay Isls., Philip- 

 pines, and Austral. 



The plants are cultivated like jacobinias or justicias, 

 of the same family. Cuttings taken at any tune when 

 the wood is soft will root in a warm bed in three to 

 four weeks, after which the potted plants may be 

 removed to a house of lower temperature. They require 

 a rich loam mixed with some leaf-mold, and plenty of 

 air. 



speciSsa, Nees 

 (Justicia speciosa, 

 Roxbg.). Fig. 

 2872. The plant 

 erect, spreading 

 and branched, be- 

 coming 2-3 ft. 

 high: Ivs. oppo- 

 site, petiqled, 

 ovate - acuminate, 

 smooth: fls. in 

 clusters of 2-3 on 

 slender branches, 

 violet-purple, 1% 

 in. long. Blooms 

 for a long period in 

 winter. India. B. 

 M. 2722. L.B.C. 

 20:1915. B. 2:74. 

 Gn. 73, p. 42. A 

 pot-plant of 

 bushy compact 

 habit when well 

 grown. Good for 

 the window. Usu- 

 ally thrives best 

 in partial shade. 



angustifolia, 

 Nees. Plant 

 low, erect, very 

 much branched : 2872. Peristrophe speciosa. ( x Yd 



