Plate 139. 



CALANTHE MASUCA. 



Purple-Jlowered Calantjie. 



Gen. Char, P eriantliium explanatum^ liberum^ v. sepalis lateralibus labello paullulum adnatis^ 

 subaequale. Lahellum cum columna connatum^ lobatum v. integrum^ calcaratum v. mutlcum, 

 disco lamellatum v. tuberculatum. Columna brevis^ rostello ssepius rostrato. Pollmia 8^ basi 

 valde attenuata^ quaternatim glandulm bipartibili adhserentia. — Terrestres : scapis eredls midti' 

 Jtoris. Folia lata^ iilicata. Flores alhi aui lilacini, raro lutei, LindL 



Calan.the Masuca 



■ucemis innlti- 



nons^ labello tripartite basi tuberculis senatis S-cristato^ senebus mtermcuus olevationbus^ 

 laciniis lateralibus linearibus subfalcatis intermedia cuneata emarginata in ungiiem lincarcm 

 laciniis lateralibus sequalem angustata^ calcare longissimo falcato clavato^ columnfl brevi 



obliqua antice bifoveat^, ovario pubescente. LindL 



Oalanthe Masuca. Lindl, Gen. et Sp. Orchid. ;p 

 Mag. t. 4541 . 



Bletia Masuca. Bon, Prodr. 



Amblyglottis veratrifolia. Blume, Bijdr.jp. 370? 



Bot. Beg. 1842. 3Iisc. p. 51. n. 51. Bot. 



According to Dr. Lindley, this plant is a native of "Nepal, Bengal, Ceylon, and 

 probably Java." It blossomed in 1842 with Messrs. Rollisons, at Tooting, but, though 

 a handsome and really striking plant, it was never figured. The specimen now repre- 

 sented is derived from the Royal Gardens at Kew, where it gi'ows and floweis freely in 



ist heat. 



Bescr. Terrestrial. Leaves lar^e, herbaceous, oblong-lanceolate, tap 



<r 



bel 



acuminated at the apex, plaited and striated. Scape erect, a foot and a half higli, gene- 

 rally shorter than the leaves, terete, glabrous, terminated by a many-flowered racenw, 

 ^vith handsome purple /owr^. JBracteas large, subulato-lanceolatc, membranaceous: 

 the upper ones coloured. Sepals and petals similar, oblong, acuminate, spreadmg. f^p 

 tripartite, deep purple : lateral lobes linear-oblong, subfalcate, intermediate one broadly 

 subcuneate ; the base of the lip below extends into a veiy long narrow spur, f.irroweri 

 on one side and bifid at the point : the base of the lip above on the disc bears a ftvc- 

 crested tubercle, the crests transversely furrowed. Column very short A?iffi^ sun 

 into a deep hollow of the column. Follen-masses eight, in two rows, much uttenuatca 



the base 



Fig. 1. ColumB, lip, and spur. 2. Column and base of lip. 3. Pollen-masseB :-^ 



iA. 



