BULBOPHYLLUM. 95 



B. Beccarii. 



"Rhizome as thick as the thumb, winding round the trunks of trees 

 to which it adheres by numerous root fibres from its under surface, 

 smooth, cylindric, green. Pseudo-bulbs rather distant, 2 inches in 

 diameter and upwards, nearly globose, monophyllous. Leaves 12 — 24 

 inches long by 9—18 inches broad, sub-acute, abruptly narrowed at 

 the concave base, thickly coriaceous. Peduncles short, decurved, thickly 

 clothed with imbricating, ovate, acute sheaths of a didl purple colour 

 streaked with red. Racemes pendulous, dense-flowered and foetid ; 

 bracts almost equalling the flowers, lanceolate, acuminate, pale lilac 

 streaked with red. Flowers ^ of an inch in diameter ; sepals ovate- 

 oblong, yellowish with red reticulations ; petals lanceolate, acuminate, 

 dull yellow with central red band ; lip ovate-lanceolate, obtuse, recurved, 

 yellow with red ribs on the disc. Column with two short teeth in 

 front at the tip." — Botanical Magazine. 



Bulbophyllum Beccarii, Rchb. in Gard. Chron. XI. (1879), p. 41. Id. XIV. (1880), 

 pp. 326, 52*5. Bot. Mag. t. 6567. 



A most remarkable orchid in more senses than one ; in size it 

 is one of the most gigantic, its enormous rhizome encircling the 

 trees to which it is attached, like the coils of a serpent ; its 

 racemes of flowers are among the largest and densest in the Order, 

 but the flowers emit an odour so loath- ome as to permanently 

 exclude the plant from general cultivation, its fcetor rivalling that 

 of the most offensive Aroid known. 



Bulbophyllum Beccarii was first discovered in Borneo, in 1853, by 

 Thomas Lobb, who sent home a leaf only, which is still in the 

 Lindley herbarium, now preserved at Kew. It was rediscovered, in 

 1867, by Professor Beccari, an Italian botanist, who has rendered 

 lasting service to science by exploring parts of the great Oriental 

 Archipelago not previously known. 



B. Dearei. 



Pseudo-bulbs clustered, varying in size from that of a small filbert 

 to that of a large walnut, monophyllous. Leaves oval-oblong, acute, 

 4 — 6 inches long. Peduncles erect, as long as the leaves, one-flowered. 

 Flowers large and showy ; dorsal sepal ovate-lanceolate, tawny yellow 

 spotted with red ; lateral sepals lanceolate, falcate, dilated, and saccate 

 at the base with some purple markings on both sides ; petals linear- 

 lanceolate, tawny yellow with deeper veins and some reddish purple 

 spots ; lip articulated with the foot of the column by a flexible claw, 

 triangular with the lateral angles turned upwards, and the anterior 

 one reflexed ; calli U-shaped, whitish mottled with purple. Column very 

 short, deep tawny yellow margined with red. 



