GOMPHREXA 



GONGORA 



1355 



This genus includes the globe amaranth, a common 

 everlasting flower of easy culture. It is also known as 

 bachelor's button, though two other utterly distinct 

 plants {Ccnlaurea Cyanus and Ranunculus acris) have 

 the same popular name. The flower-heads are an inch 

 or less in diameter, globose, of many colors, and chiefly 

 remarkable for the showy bracts, which hide the true 

 flowers. In a family remarkable for brilliant foliage tliis 

 genus seems to be the only one valued for everlastings. 

 Nearly all the other everlasting flowers of importance 

 belong to the Compositse. 



globosa, Linn. Globe Amaranth. Bachelor's 

 Button. Height 18 in. or less: Ivs. elliptic to obovate, 

 the largest 4 in. long, 1 ^ in- wide, tapering to a petiole. 

 July. B.M. 2815. R.H. 1890, p. .522. F.R. 1:333. The 

 following names of horticultural varieties indicate the 

 range of color: vars. alba, afirea, camea, nana com- 

 pacta {=alba) purpilrea, striata, violacea. Dwarf and 

 compact forms are likely to be associated with any 

 color. There is a narrow-lvd. form of this species 

 which Voss calls G. Haageana, Klotzsch (G. aurantlaca, 

 Hort. G coccinea, Decne.), which has lanceolate Ivs., 

 often 6 times as long as broad. The Ivs. are rarely 3^ 

 in. wide. R.H. 1854 : 161. AH are easily gi-own annuals. 



G. gnaphalMdes, Vahl=Pfaffia. WiLHELM MiLLER. 



GONGORA (after Don Antonio Caballero y Gongora, 

 Bishop of Cordova). Includes Acrophra. Orchidaccse, 

 tribe Yandex, subtribe Cyrlopodicse. A small group 

 of plants with curious spotted flowers, not common in 

 cultivation, and of Uttle value except for collections. 



Distinguished from the other members of the sub- 

 tribe by being epiphytic, having the 

 dorsal sepal adnate to the column, and 

 by its many-fld. raceme: dorsal sepal 

 erect, spreading, thus appearing to 

 spring from the base of the column; 

 lateral sepals spreading or reflexed from 

 the base of the column, wider; petals small, adnate to 

 the base of the column; labellum continuous with the 

 column, narrow and fleshy, with 2 thick lateral horned 

 or aristulate lobes, and a central one which is saccate 

 or even folded, forming a vertical plate; column 

 erect or ascending, not winged: pseudobulbs sulcate, 

 sheathed, bearing 1 or 2 large, phcate Ivs. : fls. borne in 

 a long, loose, pendent raceme arising from the base of 

 the pseudobulbs. — Over 20 species from Brazil to Mex. 



Gongoras are extremely free-flowering, and grow 

 easily in a mixture of sphagnum and peat, with a Uttle 

 charcoal added for drainage. During the growing 

 season they require plenty of water, and brisk heat. In 

 the winter they require httle water, but should be kept 

 in a moist atmosphere in a cool, shaded house. They 

 grow well with cattleyas, or in a temperature of 60° in 

 winter and 80° in summer. Some growers prefer to use 

 fine fern root packed tightly and for a top finish a httle 

 fine moss found in damp meadows, instead of sphagnum, 

 which in this climate is quick to decay. (Wm. Math- 

 ews.) 



a. Lateral sepals ovate or oblong, truncate. 



truncata, Lindl. Pseudobulbs deeply furcate: lateral 

 sepals rotund, oblong, truncate, the upper one ovate, 

 keeled; petals minute, ovate; sepals and petals pale 

 straw-color, spotted with purple; base of labellum com- 

 pressed in the middle, 2-horned; apex ovate, canalicu- 

 late. B.R. 31:56. 



aa. Lateral sepals broad, ovate, pointed. 

 B. Fls. light sepia-brotvn; ovary much incurved. 



galeata, Reichb. f. (Maxilldria galeata, Lindl. Acro- 

 pera Loddigesii, Lindl.). Fig. 16(i0. P.seudobulbs 

 ovate-conical, clothed with membranous scales: Ivs. 

 broadly lanceolate, 6 in. long: racemes drooping, 6-8 in. 

 long, with 6-12 pale sepia-brown fls. ; dorsal sepal gal- 

 eate; petals small, oblong-truncate; labellum 3-lobed; 



lateral lobes inflexed, middle one saccate. The plants 

 bear several short, rather large-fld. racemes. Aug. 

 Mex. B.M. 3563. L.B.C. 17:164.5. 



BE. Fls. yellow; ovary somewhat incurved. 

 armeniaca, Reichb. f. [Acrophra armeniaca, Lindl.). 

 Pseudobulbs ovate, sulcate, 2-lvd. : raceme loose, bear- 

 ing many yellow fls.; sepals ovate, rounded, apiculate, 

 the lateral ones oblique; petals one-half as long as the 

 column; labellum fleshy; apex ovate, plane, acuminate, 

 base tuberculate, crested. B.M. 5501. 



AAA. Lateral sepals lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate. 



B. Fls. chocolate-brown, spotted. 



atropurpiirea, Hook. Pseudobulbs oblong-cylindrical, 



deeply sulcate, 2-lvd.: Ivs. about 1 ft. long, la,nceolate, 



subplicate: racemes numerous, 2 ft. long, bearing many 



chocolate-colored, 

 spotted fls. about 2 

 in. diam.; margins 

 of the sepals revo- 

 lute; petals small, 

 twisted at the apex; 

 labellum 4 -horned 

 at the base; apex 

 folded so as to form 

 a vertical triangular 

 plate. Trinidad. 

 B.M. 3220. — This 

 species is the most 

 common in cult. It 

 is nearly always in 

 flower during the summer. 



BB. Fls. yellow, spotted. 



quinquenervis, Ruiz & 

 Pav. ( G. macuUda, Lindl.). 

 Pseudobulbs ovate-ob- 

 long, deeply furrowed, 2- 

 Ivd.: Ivs. broadly lanceo- 

 late, 5-plaited : racemes 

 many, 2 ft. long, with 

 numerous yellow fls. spoXr 

 fc^ , ted with dark red ; lateral 

 W^-"l sepals reflexed, meeting in 

 'the back; petals small, 

 hnear- oblong, from the 

 middle of the column ; lip 

 4-horned at base; apex 

 folded, tapering to a seta- 

 ceous point. May-Aug. 

 B.M. 3687. B.R. 1616.— 

 A curious plant, much 

 resembling G. air o pur- 

 purea except in color and 

 form of fls. 



BBB. Fls. didl red-purple spotted, with a yellow 

 labellum. 

 tricolor, Reichb. f. (G. maculata var. tricolor, Lindl.). 

 Pseudobulbs ovoid, 2J-^ in. long, deeply furrowed: Ivs. 

 ovate-oblong, acuminate, about 5-ribbed, 6 in. long: 

 raceme slender, pendulous, lax-fld., 6-10 in. long; pedi- 

 cels with ovary 13^-2 in. long, speckled like the rachis; 

 fls. about 2 in. long; dorsal sepals lanceolate, with revo- 

 lute margins, tip recurved, lateral sepals ovate-lanceo- 

 late, with revolute margins, dull red-purple, with a pale, 

 stout midrib; free portion of the petal spreading, 

 upcurvcd, lanceolate, speckled; labellum golden yellow, 

 base cuneiform saccate, truncate in front, with an awn 

 on each side, apical part broadly funnel-shaped, with a 

 spurlike, slender, speckled tip, gibbous behind; column 

 slender, speckled. B.M. 7530. B.R. 33:69. 



G. Beyrodtiana. Schlecht. Allied to G. truncata. Infl. pendu- 

 lous, about 16 in. long; fls. pale yellow, spotted with purple. Colom- 

 bia. — G. bujdnia, Lindl. Resembles G. atropurpurea in habit. Ivs. 

 and pseudobulbs; fls. yellowish white, thickly spotted with dull 



1660. 

 Gongora 

 galeata. 



