72 ERIOPSIP. 



is still unknown to science, although it is certain that it inhabits 

 the northern Cordilleras of South America at a considerable elevation. 

 Materials for description were kindly sent to us by Mr. Shuttleworth, 

 of Fark Eoad, Clapham, who informs us that the plant was received 

 from the Eoraima, in British Guiana.* 



E. Rutidobulbon. 



" Pseudo-bulbs ovate-oblong, 2 — 3 inches long, of a dark purplish 



black colour singularly rough or wrinkled, di-triphyllous. Leaves 



broadly lanceolate, striated and somewhat coriaceous. Scapes 12 — 18 



inches long, dark purple, bearing a many - flowered raceme. Flowers 



1|— 2 inches in diameter ; sepals and petals similar, oblong-obtuse, 



orange-yellow, red-purple at the margin ; lip obtusely spurred at the 



base, broadly ovate, three lobed, the disk lamellated with a dull crest ; 



the lateral lobes broad, involute ; the front lobe small, orbicular, white 



with dark purple spots, the rest of the lip orange-red dotted with 



dark purple. Column semi-terete, greenish." — Botanical Magazine. 



Eriopsis Rutidobulbon, Hook, in Bot. Mag. t. 4437 (1849). Echb. in Walp, 

 Ann. VI. t. 662, and Bonpl. II. p. 281. "Williams' Orch. Alb. VIII. t. 337. 

 E. biloba, Linden's Pesc. t. 20 (not of Lindl.). • 



Introduced to the Royal Gardens at Kew in 1849 by Purdie, 



who found it growing on the stem of a Palm tree in the temperate 



region of Antioquia, in North Colombia, at an elevation of 4,000 — 



6,000 feet. Purdie remarked that it is very rare in the region in 



which he travelled, and he succeeded in bringing home only one 



plant, the only one, in fact, that he met with.f The species 



figured in Linden's Fescatorea as Eriopsis hiloha is evidently not 



that species, but E. Riitidolnilbon. In the letterpress accompanying 



the figure it is stated that Liaden discovered the plant in 1841 



"dans les petits bois de la Savanna'' (wherever that is), associated 



with Oijpripedium caudatum LlnJenii {Uropedium Lindenii, Lindl.) + 



It continued to be very rare in European gardens for many years 



after its first introduction ; recent importations have caused it to be 



more generally distributed. 



It is highly probable that this is not the only station of this plant. 



t Bot. Mag. sub. t. 4437. 



t Under Uropedium Lindenii, Pescatorea, plate 2, it is stated that Linden discovered this 

 curious Orchid in 1843 growing among the underwood scattered over the meadow-like 

 Savannahs lying between the Cordillera of Merida and Lake Maracaybo. This is, perhaps, 

 the locality meant, but there is a discreijancy in the dates. 



