482 WESTMORELAND. 



Continental America or in the great Indian isles, yet 

 it has many species of much beauty. Epidendrum 

 ciliare and Brassia caudata are curious forms, the 

 former for the delicately-fringed white lip, and the 

 latter for the length and slenderness of its spotted 

 yellow petals. The shell-like form of Epid. coch- 

 leatum and E.fragrans is interesting, as is the delight- 

 ful perfume widely diffused by the latter. The lilac 

 spikes of lonopsis, and the crimson ones of Brough- 

 tonia sanguinea, yield to few in beauty ; and of ter- 

 restrial species, a rich purple Bletia that I found 

 in the Bocdguas near Spanish Town, and a Phajus 

 from the summit of Bluefields Peak, are particularly 

 noble. 



I have not found that the Orchidece, any more 

 than other tribes of plants, are confined to one par- 

 ticular season of flowering. It is commonly con- 

 sidered that the dry season is a period of rest for these 

 parasites, and that the return of the periodical rains 

 stimulates them to push forth their leaves and flowers. 

 In Jamaica, however, there are many exceptions to 

 this, so many that it can scarcely be deemed the 

 rule. Thus in February and March, the time of 

 drought, Broughtonia sanguinea flowers profusely and 

 magnificently all along the shore of Westmoreland. 

 Epidendrum umbellatum I also found in blossom, 

 not far from the shore ; and a little Polystachia (?) 

 appeared to have just done blossoming. Angrcecum 

 funale continues to throw out its elegant flowers 

 successively all through this period of drought. 



In the mountain woods, at the same time, I found 

 the dense spikes of Epid. nictans depending in abun- 



