CATASETUM BUNGEROTHII. 
[PLATE 352. ] 
Native of Ecuador. 
A terrestrial plant, with fleshy-stemmed pseudobulbs, which are fusiform in shape. 
Leaves lanceolate, acute, membraneous and plaited. Raceme six- to twelve-flowered. 
Flowers large and pure ivory-white; sepals and petals spreading, the latter much 
the larger, and with the dorsal sepal directed upwards ; lip transversely oblong, 
deeply concave, and furnished with a short obtuse spur, bidentate at the apex. 
Column short, obtuse, cirrhis attached to the base, somewhat thick and horn-like. 
CaTAsETUM BuncEroruu, N. E. Brown, Gardeners’ Chronicle, third series, 1887, i., 
p. 1389; Lindema, ii, t. 57; L’Ilustration Horticole, 1887, t. 10: The Garden, 
XXXill., 1888, p. 388, t. 646. 
The singular plant whose portrait we have much pleasure in introducing to our 
readers, is a member of a somewhat large genus, remarkable for their quaint, often 
large, and attractive flowers, which, however, seldom have any claim to elegance ; 
but the species here figured is an exception to the rule, and it certainly must be 
called a bold and handsome-flowered form. The whole of this genus of Orchids 
are natives of the tropical part of the New World, and are all deserving culti- 
vation by those having space at command. The singular structure of their flowers, 
and the amount of uncertainty as to what shaped flower or flowers are to be 
produced, is quite enough to cause Professor Reichenbach’s statement to be fulfilled : 
he says if one “takes Catasetums into their stoves, they are sure to become more 
or less bewitched, sooner or later.” Catasetum Bungerothii at present has not produced 
any variations but in colour, but we cannot tell what it may do. Sir R. 
Schomburgk found in Demerara, some years ago, a Catasetum in bloom, the raceme 
bearing flowers of very different structures, exactly resembling those which botanists 
- have assigned to the genera Catasetum, Myanthus, and Monocanthus. The same 
thing occurred under cultivation in the gardens of the Duke of Devonshire, at 
Chatsworth, and several instances have occurred in which two kinds of flowers have 
appeared simultaneously on one plant. Dr. Lindley has said “no one can pretend 
to form a positive opinion as to what are natural, what monstrous, what permanent, 
what accidental, states of the genus Catasetum.” The form of the plant here 
figured is very beautiful, and when better known, will find many admirers amongst 
Orchid growers. It was discovered in Ecuador by M. Bungeroth, whose name it 
bears, and was sent by him to the Compagnie Continentale d’Horticulture, in 
Ghent. Several varieties have already appeared from amongst the imported plants, 
the most valuable of which is C. Bungerothiu Pottsianum, in which the petals differ 
