July 28, 1888.] 



THE GABDENEBS' CHRONICLE. 



91 



lines are perhaps the most convenient substitute, 

 and since the question of the probable relative posi- 

 tion of atoms in a molecule has been of late more 

 studied many chemists have readopted the method. 



Dalton's idea of different kinds of atoms, with 

 different relative weights, aud of an " attraction " of 

 some kind that holds them together, but permits of 

 their separating, combining, separating, and again 

 reforming in other fixed relations, was delight- 

 fully pictured by Roscoe in his British Association 

 address last year at Manchester. He likened the 

 atoms held together by the unknown " chemical 

 affinity " to people in a dance of many figures, 

 where each individual for a while joins hands with 

 others, separates, forms part of another group, and 

 separates again to make up other groups.* 



To a cultivator, or to anyone else who has paid no 

 attention to chemistry, a sight of Fremy's or Wurtz' 

 Encyclapadia, Gmelin's Handbuch, or Watt's Dic- 

 tionary with its supplements, is an appalling sight. 

 But a cultivator does not need to know : it would 

 not help him to know the technical processes of iron, 



those of Megaclinium falcatum, 2£ cm. high, 4 1 in 

 circumference. There are two strong cuneate-lan- 

 ceolate acute leaves, 5 cm. in length, 1 broad. The 

 peduncle (3 cm.) is covered with imbricating 

 sheaths. The rachis (3J cm. to nearly 1) is light 

 green, scarcely lobed. Bracts triangular deflexed. 

 Flower of Megaclinium falcatum. Petals longer and 

 more arcuate, side sepals also reflexed. Liptrilobed, 

 wholly membranaceous, side lobes angulate, mid lobe 

 oblong. Column with two sharp introrse teeth, one 

 on each side of the fovea, hence quite distinct from 

 that of Megaclinium falcatum. 



I had this " curio " from Major Lendy, Sunbury 

 House, Sunbury-on-Thames. It was purchased as 

 coming from Madagascar. H. G. Rchb.f. 



Dipodium paludosum, Rchb. f. ; Grahmatophyl- 

 LUM PALUDOSUM, Griff. ; Wailesia paludosa, 

 Bchb. f. 

 This plant has distichous ligulate-acute mem- 

 branaceous leaves. From the axil or axils of the 

 lower leaves spring the long peduncles with a raceme 



-ILLUSTRATION SHOWING THE RELATIVE QUANTITY OF STABCH IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE 

 POTATO TUBER. 



zinc, tin, or alkali works, or of brewing or dyeing, 

 nor all the history of what is called pure or philo- 

 sophical or theoretic chemistry. W. S. M. 

 (To be continued.) 



New or Noteworthy Plants. 



MEGACLINIUM OXYODON, n.sp.t 

 This is a small plant, very much like Megaclinium 

 melanorrhachis. Its bulbs are spherico-tetragonous, 

 placed at intervals on the creeping rhizome, dark 

 green with black, much wrinkled, and with 

 punctiform impressions, entirely different from 



* To be a perfect illustration some people must be supposed 

 to have more than two hands, and some only one. 



t Megwdinium oryodon. n. sp. — Rhizomat© repente ; pseu- 

 dobulbiB dietantibus sphaeroideo-tetragoois diphyUis ; folii9 

 cuneato-ligulatis acutis valde coriaceis ; pedunculo densissime 

 imbricato vaginato ; rachis foliacea ligulata apiculata 

 margine vix lobulata ; bracteis triangulis deflexis ; floribus 

 Megaclinii falcati ; tepalis longioribus magis arcuatis ; labello 

 trilobo brevi, lobis lateralibus aagulatis; columna lata juxta 

 androclinium utriflrjue ie'nte magno introrso. Bulbophylluna 

 oxyodon. H. G. Rchb. f. 



of eight to twelve flowers. Sepals and petals lan- 

 ceolate-acute, cream-white, spotted with purple, 

 nearly an inch in length. Lip with two teeth at 

 the base, where it is rather thickened, cuneate- 

 oblong acute, soft and velvety on the mid-line, 

 white ; side partitions of the anterior largest lacinia 

 marked with some longitudinal purple lines. Column 

 thickened and yellow at the top, the remaining part 

 white. 



It was originally discovered by our English 

 hero, Dr. Griffith, in the swamps of Ayer-Punnus 

 in Malacca, with two species of Nepenthes. Later 

 it was discovered in Borneo (Pontianuk, im- 

 ported by Messrs. Veitch), and now Mr. Regnier, of 

 Fontenay-sous-Bois, sends fine fresh specimens, which 

 came originally from Cambodia. H. G. Rchb. /. 



Odontoglossum cuspidatum (Rchb. /.) platyglos- 

 sum, n. var. 

 I described this curious plant as long agoas 1876 in 

 Garcke. Linnaa, xli., p. 26. It is also represented in 

 my Xenia Orchidacea, ii., t. 18. It is allied to Odonto- 

 glossum luteo-purpureum, but the petals are very 

 acuminate and not edged, and the narrow lip is ter- 

 minated by an abrupt cuspidate apex in lieu of 



being blunt or bilobed. Both the sepals and the 

 petals are usually dark blackish brown showing very 

 little yellow. I have just now specimens at hand of 

 a variety with a broader lip. The plant has been 

 found quite isolated in one particular spot, where 

 there are no other Odontoglossa. Mr. W. Kalbreyer 

 has just brought over living plants. The bulbs are 

 said to be much more like those of Odontoglossum 

 crispum than those of 0. luteo-purpureum. They 

 produce inflorescences even when very young and 

 small, These infloresences are also often branched. 

 The flowers have, according to Mr. W. Kalbreyer, a 

 most powerful and agreeable smell. H. G. Rchb. f. 



L.elia ErERMANiANA, n. hyb. {wit. ?) 

 This lovely, perhaps unique, Mexican novelty, (fig. 

 12, p. 109), has lately appeared with Mr. F.JSander at 

 St. Albans. The lucky possessor believes it to be a 

 hybrid between Laelia majalis and L. autumnalis. It 

 came amidst L. majalis, of which the bulb is just 

 the same. L. autumnalis was seen in the same place. 

 The leaves are ligulate acute, very strong. 6 inches 

 long by nearly 2 inches in width. My Hartwegian 

 specimen of L. majalis has a leaf of nearly the same 

 length, although usually the leaves are smaller, but 

 they are represented quite as large by Lindley and 

 Bateman. Humboldt's typical specimen of Bletia 

 speciosa (=Lalia majalis), has quite a large leaf. The 

 peduncle is stated to bear four flowers. They are equal 

 to an average flower of L. Gouldiana, hence smaller 

 than those of L. autumnalis. The sepals and petals 

 are of a lovely rose-purple, with a green knob outside 

 at the acute apex of the sepals. The petals are cuneate- 

 oblong, blunt ( ! ! ). Lip three-fid. Side lacinias 

 oblong, shorter than the rounded, somewhat wavy mid- 

 lacinia. Colour white, border rose. There are two keels 

 with a third one in the middle from the base to the 

 centre, whitish, washed with purple and with some 

 purple spots ; suddenly constricted into three 

 approximate yellow keels on the disc. Column white 

 with some purple spots at the base in front, and some 

 transverse running yellow lines ; the anther was 

 too far advanced for good study. Mr. Sander informs 

 me the smell is that of Orchis coriophora. 



I have not the least doubt, the plant is an unde- 

 scribed one. The bulb is most evidently that of 

 Laelia majalis. There is, however, some difference in 

 the blunt petals, as both L. majalis and L. autum- 

 nalis have them acute. The abrupt constriction of 

 the keel resembles fully that L. majalis. We may 

 get in future enlightened, provided the precious 

 unique lives and developes itself. Mr. F. Sander has 

 desired that it should be named in honour of Mr. J. 

 Eyerman, of Easton, U.S.A., one of the most enthu- 

 sisastic orchidists of our days. H. G. Rchb.f. [The 

 plant has been shown twice lately at the Royal Hor- 

 ticultural Society when the leafy bracts shown in 

 our figure, were much commented on. Ed.] 



Aeranthus ophioplectron, n. sp* 



This is stated to have the stem and leaves of 

 Aeranthus Carnowianus, the flower, however, is 

 very distinct. The sepals are triangular acuminate, 

 1 inch long by one-sixth wide at the base. The 

 petals are narrower, curved downwards behind the 

 lateral spreading sepals. All those organs are yel- 

 lowish-green. Lip triangular acuminate, white, 

 with a long filiform ochre-reddish spur, twisted near 

 the base, exceeding the lip four times. It was 

 kindly sent me by Messrs. H. Low & Co., having 

 been introduced by them from Madagascar. H. G. 

 Rchb.f. 



NOTES FROM OAKWOOD. 



I send a few notes of observation lately made at 

 my experimental garden at Oakwood, Wisley. The 

 late weather, so objectionable to mortals, and so bad 

 for the hay, has thoroughly suited some plants. We 

 have never before had Meconopsis Wallichii nearly 

 in such beauty as it is in this year, both the blue 

 and purple varieties. Having learnt at Kew that 



* Aeranthus opkwplectron, n.sp.— Caule, foliis. inflorescentio, 

 Aeranthi Curnowiam.Rchb. i.; pedunculo (semper?) unifloro; 

 bractea ovario multo breviori ; sepalis tepalisque lanceo trian- 

 gulis; topalis retrorsum deflexis; labello triangulo acuto. 

 callo in ealcaris ostio humili, angulo utrinque de columna 

 b'asi in ealcaris ostium descscdente, calcari filiformis. bail 

 seni'el torto. Ex Madagascar imp. exj. Hugh Low & Co. 

 Pro hortis Angroecum ophioplectron. H. G. Rchb. f. 



