Plate 143. 



TRICHOPILIA SUA VIS. 



Sweet Trichopilia. 



Gen, Char, {Vide supra, Plate 115.) 



RiCHOPiLiA suavis ; pseudobulbis rotundatia compressis monopliyllis^ foliis lato-oblongis coriaceis 

 subsessilibus, pedunciilis nutaritibus 2-3-floris, sepalis petalisque lineari-lanceolatis undulatis 

 rectiusculisj labello maxirao lobis undulatis crenato-dentatis^ clinandrii cucullo lobato lobis 

 tenuissime fimbrlatis. 



cKiCHOPiLiA suavis. Lindl et Paxt. Fl. Gard. v.l.p. U. n. 70. 



Native of Central ximerica, like most of the other species of the genus, from 

 all of which it is extremely distinct. Its pseudobulbs are short and flat (not elon- 

 gated) in which respect, as well as in its nodding three-flowered racemes, it resembles 

 the otherwise very different T. cnspa. It is difficult to decide whether the palm of 

 beauty should be ffiven to the latter or to T. suavis itself, but both are eminently 



lovely. Both are also very easily managed, but should not be kept too warm. There 

 are many varieties of T. suavis, some of which have brighter spots than the one repre- 

 sented in the Plate. It produces its fragrant blossoms very freely in April and May. 



Descr. Pseudobulbs extremely compressed, orbicular, aggregated, bearing a soli- 

 tary, broad, elliptical, coriaceous leaf, contracted at the base into a short, laterally 

 compressed petiole. From the base of a pseudobulb the peduncle merges, and is 

 pendent, bearing two or three large and highly fragrant fowers, bracteated at the 

 insertion of each flower ; bracfeas ovate, thin, membi'anaceous, white, streaked with 

 hrown. Ovary long, clavate, angled, pale green. Sepals and petals spreading, white 

 _ cream-coloured, lanceolate, acuminate, nearly straight or only slightly twisted. 

 I^p very large, projecting forward, white or cream-coloured in its ground-colour; 

 tlie lower half or claw is convolute upon the column, but enlarged suddenly upwards 

 ^s to constitute a funnel-shaped petal, with a very laige oblique limb ; this limb is 

 co-lobed, spotted with pale purple, yellow in the tliroat, the lateral lobes waved and 

 t^reiiuted, the middle lobe very large, slightly deflexed, emarginate or refuse at the 

 ^Pex, the margiu crisped and crenulate. Column very long, terete, expanding at 



or 



tl 



th 



e 



^Pex in front into a large convex fleshy stigma, and bearing at the back 



of 



