312 BOTANICAL OBSERVATIONS 



Linn. Retuse-leaved Epidendrum ? 



Cal. Spaihes minute, straggling. 



Cor. Petals five, diverging, oval-oblong, obtuse, 

 wavy; the two lowest larger; the three highest 

 equal, bent towards the nectary. 



Nectary central, rigid : Mouth gaping, oblique : Up- 

 per lip shorter, three-parted, with a polished 

 honey-cup ; under Up, concave in the middle, 

 keeled above, with two smaller cavities below, two 

 processes at the base, incurved, hollow, oval-poin- 

 ted, converging, honey-bearing. 



St am. Filaments very short. Anthers round, flat- 

 tish, margined, covered with a lid, easily deciduous 

 from the upper lip of the nectary. 



Pi st. Germ beneath long, ribbed, contorted with 

 curves of opposite flexure. Style very short, adhe- 

 ring to the upper lip. Stigma simple. 



Per. Capsule oblong-conic, wreathed, six-keeled, 

 each with two smaller keels, three-celled, crowned 

 with the dry corol. 



Seeds innumerable, like fine dust, affixed to the Re- 

 ceptacle with extremely fine hairs, which become 

 thick wool. 



Scapes incurved, solitary, from the cavity of the leaf, 

 at most seven -flowered ; pedicels alternate. Pe- 

 tals milk-white externally, transparent ; brown 

 within, yellow-spotted. Upper lip of the nectary 

 snow-white ; under lip rich purple, or light crim- 

 son, striated at the base, with a bright yellow 

 gland, as it seems, on each process. The flowers 

 gratefully fragrant and exquisitely beautiful, looking 

 as if composed of shells, or made of enamel ; crisp 



elastic. 



