Plate 155 



DENDROBIUM HEDYOSMUM. 



Sweet-scented Bendrohium. 



Gen. Ghar. {Vide supra, Plate 102.) 



Dkndrobium liedyosmnm ; caulibns erectis nigro-liirsutis siiithainteis^ floribus lateralibus gciuinatis 



odoratissimisj sepalis petalisque siib^qualibus ovato-laiiceolatis acutis nitidis^ lul^cUi trilobi 

 lobis lateralibus erectis acutis intermedio majore marginc crispulo, disco sulcatOj aj-n>(* ncuto 

 decurvo. 



Dkxdrobium liedyosmum, Bateman in Bot. Mag. pi. 5515, 

 Dendrobium albo-viride. Parish in lit. 



w 



Although the vast majority of tlie species of the great Indian genus Bendrohwm 

 are entirely scentless, a few, e.g. B. macrophyUum, send forth disagreeable odours, while 

 a still smaller number, among which may be classed the subject of the accompanying 

 Plate, yield the most grateful perfumes. The fragrance oi B. hedf/osmum might almost 



be mistaken for Wallflower. 



Our plant was received from Moulmein in 1863, by Messrs. Hugh T.ow and Co., 

 of the Clapton Nursery, under the name of B. albo-viride, which had been provisiomilly 

 given by its discoverer, Mr. Parish. And, indeed, when the flowers of a specimen nt 

 Knypersley, from whence the figure is taken, first opened, they were unmistakably of a 

 pale greenish-white, and so far justified Mr. Parish's specific name ; but in the course 

 of a few days these tints disappeared, the sepals and petals began to sliine like polished 

 ivory, while the disk of the lip glowed with a rich orange-yellow, thus (mtirely chan- 

 ging the appearance and character of the blossoms, and rendering the name of albo-vinde 

 no longer appropriate. Under these circumstances, I have ventured to substitute th 

 name of hedmsmimi, in allusion to the 



delicious perfume of the flowers,— a cJiange 



which I cannot doubt will be approved by Mr. Parish himself 



B. hedyosmum flowers in the spring, and its blossoms, after undngoing the change 

 described above, continue in beauty for many weeks. It requires no particular treat- 

 ment. but raiP «bnnlrl hp tnlrnn Hint its roots do uot touch auytliiug that IS sodden. 



D 



ed toi^etlicr, about a span long ; when j 



