CSYSIS. 25 



10 — 15 inches long. Scapes stoutish, a little longer than the stems, 

 5 — 7 or more flowered. Flowers 2 inches in diameter; sepals and petals 

 oval-oblong, yellowish red, pale yellow at the base ; lip three-lobed, the 

 lateral lobes incurved, also pale yellow, middle lobe roundish, crisped, 

 downy, spotted red and yellow, and with five white raised lines on 

 the disk. Column broad, terete and pale yellow above, concave, and 

 spotted with red beneath. 



Chysis aurea, LincU. Bot. Reg. t. 1937 (1837). Bot. Mng. t. 3617. Van Houtte's 

 Fl. dcs Serres, t. 671 (copied from the Bot. Mag.). 



var. — maculata. 



Stems longer and more slender than in the Venezuelian and Mexican 

 types, and the flowers difterently coloured ; sepals and petals white at 

 the base, the remaining area tawny yellow toned with purple ; side lobes 

 of lip yellow with a brown-purple stain at the base, middle lobe purple 

 with pale markings. 



C. aui-ea maculata, Hook. Bot. Mag. t. 4576. 

 Discovered by Henchman in 1«34, in the valley of Cumancoa 

 (Cumano?), in Venezuela, '^growing suspended by long fibrous roots 

 from the lateral branches of trees, so that its pseudo-bulbs, which 

 in their growing state are uncommonly brittle, hang downwards and 

 wave in the wind, which would otherwise be sufficient to break them." 

 It was shortly afterwards introduced by Messrs. Low and Co., of 

 Clapton, through its discoverer. We have since received it from the 

 neighbourhood of Cordova, in Mexico, with Chysis bradescens. 



Chysis aurea flowers in April and May, but it is not unusual for 

 its flower scapes to appear at other times of the year ; owing to its 

 power of self -fertilisation, the flowers last but a short time after 

 expansion. The variety maculata first appeared among an importation 

 of Columbian orchids that was offered for sale at Stevens^ Eooms, 

 in 1850 ; it has since been recently re-imported by Messrs. 

 Shuttleworth and Co., of Park Road, Clapham. 



0. bractescens. 



Stems, leaves, and inflorescence as in Chysis aurea, but somewhat 

 more robust. Flowers 3 inches in diameter, on short stout pedicels 

 (including ovary), sheathed by a large foliaceous bract ; sepals and 

 petals ivory-white, the former oblong, the latter obovate-oblong ; lateral 

 lobes of lip oblong, incurved, white on the outside, yellow streaked 

 with red on the imier side ; middle lobe sub-quadrate with a shallow 

 sinus in the anterior margin, yellow streaked and stained with red ; 



