straight and submoniliform. TseTH of the disk compressed, spread- 
ing, crenate at the margin, the hinder one double the size of the others. 
CoLumn green at the base, yellow at the apex, awl-shaped on both 
sides, the beak extremely long and awl-shaped. The tail of the pol- 
len masses very long, the gland small and subtriangular. 
Porutar anp Geocrapnicat Notice. Trinidad has supplied 
this additional species of a genus, most of which belong to the tropical 
parts of America. This, like the others, is an epiphyte, growing on 
old dead branches of trees near the Mud Lake. Singular as the 
appearance generally is of the tropical Orchidacex, this one out-runs 
the greatest number of them, in the very remarkable character of its 
lip. The hairs of the crest will be found to furnish interesting objects 
for inspection with the microscope, as most necklace-like hairs are, 
such as those of the Tradescantia Virginica or Spider-wort. The 
seeds of many orchidaceous plants also supply very beautiful subjects 
for microscopic observation. The difficulties which attended the study 
and investigation of orchidaceous plants have been greatly diminished 
by the persevering labours and acuteness of Robert Brown. (See his 
Prodromous Flore Nove Hollandie, p.309; and his Memoir on the 
Fertilization of the Orchidew, Trans. of the Linnean Soc. vol. 16) of 
L. C. Richard and his son, A. Richard ; by the Drawings of Bauer (Il- 
lustrations of the Genera and Species of Orchidaceous Plants;) and 
by the various writings of Dr. Lindley, especially his last beautiful 
work, entitled Sertum Orchidaceum. 
IntropuctTion; WHERE GRowN; CouLTore. It was first received 
in this ¢ountry about 1835, by Mr. Knight, of the King’s Road Nur- 
sery, Chelsea; and for its singularity and beauty has been added, at 
considerable cost, to several of the best collections. The plant from 
which our drawing was made, flowered at the Messrs. Loddiges in July. 
It requires to be kept in the stove; and perhaps cannot be better 
treated than by being suspended from the branch of a tree, so as to 
imitate,as much as possible, its natural site. It is usually potted in 
sandy peat, broken into pieces about the size of a walnut. 
DERIVATION OF THE NAMEs. 
Maxirrarra has been ado $ a name for this genus from the oer 
which the lip of the flower iia to the maxille or jaws of som 
. sa crested, from cresta, a crest, that organ in this species rare very 
SynonyMEs. 
Maxttrarta cristata. Lindley: in Botanical Register, folio 1811. 
