PEKISTERIA. 127 



PERISTERIA. 



Hook, ia Bot. Mag. t. 3116 (1831). Beuth. et Hook. Gen. Plant. III. p. 550 (1883). 

 In Peristeria the flowers appear more regular in outline than in 

 the Stanhopeids described in the preceding pages. This is owing 

 to the sepals and petals being more or less connate at the base; 

 they are also very fleshy and convex on the outer side, imparting 

 to the flower an almost globose form. Moreover, the labellum is 

 of simpler structure ; this organ, like the other segments, is of fleshy 

 texture, three-lobed, continuous with the column and articulated at 

 the middle. The column itself is short, thick and mostly wingless ; 

 the pollinia are sessile or sub-sessile, and furrovved on one side. 



The species that conform to these characters are about eight in 

 number, of which three or four are but very imperfectly known. Those 

 here noticed are all more or less robust plants with large j^seudo- 

 bulbs and long plaited leaves ; in this respect the tj'pe species 

 Peristeria elata is one of the largest pseudo-bulbous orchids in 

 cultivation. 



The generic name is formed from the Greek word TnpiaTipn, ''a 

 dove/' selected for the reason given under Peristeria elata. 



Peristeria cerina. 



Pseudo-bulbs ovoid-oblong, 3 inches long, bearing at tlieir apex 3 — 4 

 oblong-lanceolate leaves, 7 — 10 inches long, narrowed below into a short 

 channelled petiole. Scapes short and pendulous, sheathed at the base 

 by brownish, ovate, imbricating scales ; raceme dense, 7 — 10 flowered. 

 Flowers about an inch in diameter, light citron yellow ; sepals and 

 petals of wax-like texture, broadly ovate, sub-acute, concave Avithin, 

 the petals a little smaller than the sepals ; lip tbree-lobed, the side 

 lobes ovate, acute, the intermediate lobe ovate, emarginate, abrujitlj' 

 inflexed and with crisped margin. Column thick, semi-terete. 



Peristeria cerina, Liadl. in Bot. Reij. t. 1953 (1837). Rclib. in Wall). Ann. 

 VI. p. 607. 



Introduced from Central America in 1837 by our predecessor 



Mr. Knight, of the Royal Exotic Nursery, the precise habitat not being 



recorded. It is one of the least attractive of the Peristerias, more 



resembling Peristeria pendula than the type species P. elata; the 



flowers have a strong odour of the bruised foliage of Juniper, Our 



description was taken in the Royal Gardens at Kew. 



