CYMBIDIUM. 2 1 



gardens is a matter of some interest, as its identity with the 

 Cymhidium albucceflorum of Mueller and therefore its north 

 Australian origin is now proved. We are indebted for materials for 

 description to Mr. G. C. Raphael, of Castle Hill, Englefield Green. 



0. pendulum. 



Stems pseudo-bulbous, 2—3 inches long, sheathed by the bases of the 



lowermost leaves. Leaves broadly linear, distichous, equitant at base, 12 — 20 



or more inches long, very rigid, sub-erect and obliquely two-lobed at the apex. 



Racemes shorter than the leaves, pendulous or decurved, many-flowered. 



Flowers 1| — 2 inches in diameter ; sepals and petals narrowly oblong, 



acute, recurved at the tips, light yellow with a vinous purple median 



band, often striated or broken into streaks ; the petals somewhat 



shorter and more acute than the sepals ; lip elliptic-oblong, obscurely 



three-lobed, dark plum-purple with pale yellow longitudinal lines ; the 



side lobes narrow, erect, the front lobe or epichile small, sub-quadrate, 



reflexed with two yellow bilobate calli at its base. Column vinous 



purple, anther yellow. 



Cymbidium pendulum, Swartz. in Nov. Act. VI. p. 73 (1800). Lindl. Gen. et 

 Sp. Orch. p. 165. Rclib. in Walp. Ann. VI, p. 624 (excl. var. brevilabre) C. 

 aloifolium, Hook. f. FI. Brit. Ind. VI. p. 10 (not of Sw.). Epidendrum pendulum, 

 Roxb. Corom. PI. I. p. 35, t. 44. E. aloides, Curtis in £ot. Mag. t. 387 (1797). 



Much confusion exists respecting the identity of this species which 

 has been known in gardens for upwards of a century as Gymhidium 

 aloifolium. It is, moreover, encumbered with a tangled synonymy, 

 which it is impossible to unravel without a careful examination and 

 comparison of original types preserved in herbaria. This research 

 has been recently undertaken by Mr. Rolfe, of the Kew Herbarium, 

 and we unhesitatingly accept his decision. The species here described 

 is beyond question the true G. pendulum of Swartz, not of Lindley, 

 the latter being now referred to G. Finlaysonianum ; it has been 

 confused with the last - named species and with the closely allied 

 G. aloifolium of Swartz, the G. bicolor of Lindley, whose habitat is 

 restricted to southern India and Ceylon, and which has not, so far 

 as we can discover, been in cultivation. 



Cymhidium pendulum (as here understood) has been gathered in 

 many localities in the lower Himalayan zone from eastern Nepal 

 to Sikkim, and from Assam southwards as far as Tenasserim and 

 the Andaman Islands; it also occurs in southern China. Although 

 of inferior merit as a horticultural plant it is especially interesting 

 as being one of the tirst Cymbidiums introduced into British gardens. 



