AERIDES. 61 



AEMDES. . 



Loureiro, Fl. cochinch. 11. p. 523 (1790). Lindl. Gen. et Sp. Orcli. p. 328 (1832). Penth. et 

 Hook. Gen. Plant. III. p. 576 (1883). 



The elegant drooping racemes of fragrant^ wax-like flowers^ and 

 the comparative facility with which the species can be cultivated 

 in the glass-houses of Europe^ have ahvays secured for Aerides a 

 large amount of favour from orchid amateurs, so that in most 

 collections the genus is represented by its most admired species. 

 From a botanical point of view, however, it must be admitted that 

 a more perplexing genus as regards the hmitation of species is 

 scarcely to be found throughout the Orchide.e, for it includes an 

 unknown number of "forms," some of them perhaps natural hybrids^ 

 which in many instances approach each other so closely that it is 

 extremely difficult to define clearly the differences that separate them, 

 or to determine the specific characters by which the one may be 

 distinguished from tbe other, if species they are, but nevertheless 

 showing some characteristic in habit, in the inflorescence, or in the 

 colour of the flowers, by which they are recognised as distinct by 

 horticulturists. Many of these ''forms" fall naturally into groups, 

 each of which is represented by a well-recognised species that may 

 be regarded as the type of the group ; Aerides odoratum, A. 

 multijioruvi and A. falcatum are instances of suchj around each of 

 these well-marked species ma,y be grouped a number of forms 

 that can only be distinguished from the type by characters of 

 scarcely sufficient value to be considered specific. 



The essential characters of Aerides may be thus expressed : — 



The sepals are spreading, the lateral two broader than the upper 

 one, and adnate at their base to the foot of the column. 

 The 2^etcils are similar to the upper sepal, rarely different. 

 The laheUum is affixed to the foot of the column, is three-lobed, 

 and produced into a spur that is usually turned upwards on the back 

 of the labellum. 



The column is short and thickish, produced more or less at its base 

 into a foot ; the anther is beaked. 



In a wild state the Aerides affix thcinselves to the trunks and 

 branches of living trees, rarely to dead and i)rostrate ones. The young 

 plants are usually erect or ascending, and emit from their base numerous 

 corddike roots that creep over the bark or along the cracks and crevices 

 of it, clinging to the tree with extraordinary tenacity, and holdin"- the 



