PHAL^NOPSIS. 



27 



"This curious orchid is found in abundance on the stunted bushes in 

 the swampy islands at the mouth of the river Irawaddy. In this situation, 

 being exposed to the sun during the dry season, it loses its leaves, its 

 roots being kept plump by the night dews, and it consequently has a 

 distinct resting season. When growing in the shade it has no resting 

 season, loses none of its leaves, and continues in flower throughout the 

 year. 



" Phakenopsis Cornu-cervi is found from Akyab (lat. 19° N.) throughout the 



whole of Lower Burmah, and southwards down to Tavoy, Mergui, and Perak, 



also in Java, occasionally on the hills, abounding in the plains, flourishing 



luxuriantly in the dense shade of the forest, wliere it is protected from 



dry winds. In 1870 the Bamboos in the jungle between Pegu and 



Shoagun flowered, and, as is the habit of many Bamboos, the clumps 



died and rotted down, thus rendering it possible to penetrate into a forest 



which had been closed for years. The few scattered trees growing in 



the Bamboo jungle were Mango trees ; the trunks of these trees were 



found covered with huge masses of P. Cornu-cervi, growing in the densest 



shade, where they had been unmolested for many years. The plants 



presented masses of leaf growth of extraordinary vigour, and bore such 



quantities of flowers as would delight an English orchidist ; this was the 



solitary orchid found in this shady forest. Unfortunately, the deciduous 



variety, which bears comparatively very poor flowers, is that which survives 



the journey to England, the large evergreen form found in the jungle 



being too soft to travel." 



Besides the localities indicated in the foregoing extract^ our 



collectors Curtis and Burke detected this orchid growing on trees on 



the limestone hills of Sarawak. They noted that in this district 



the flowers are variable in colour, some being prettily marked, while 



the majority are pallid and inattractive. 



The specific name, Cornu-cervi, is literally " stages horn," 

 suggested probably by the flattened rachis of the inflorescence. 



P. Esmeralda. 



Roots stoutish, white, radiating on all sides from the base of the 

 short stems. Leaves oblong or elliptic-oblong, acute, 5 — 8 inches long. 

 Peduncles usually deep green, but sometimes spotted with blackish 

 purple, slender, erect, 15 — 20 or more inches high, racemose along the 

 — • distal half, many flowered. Flowers about an inch in diameter, on 

 short pedicels spirally arranged round the rachis ; sepals and petals 

 varying in colour in difi"erent plants from amethyst-purple to pale lilac 

 or almost white, the dorsal sepal and petals oval-oblong, acute ; the 

 lateral sepals ovate-oblong, and more acute than tlie dorsal one ; lip 

 three-lobed, the lateral lobes roundish, erect, varying in colour from 

 deep ))urple to pale mauve, Ijut sometimes orange-red and In-ownish red j 



