ERIOPSIS RUTIDOBULBON. 
[PLaTE 377. | 
Native of Antioquia, United States of Colombia. 
Epiphytal on Palm stems. Psewdobulbs oblong, ovate, much corrugated, and 
deep purplish brown, two or three-leaved. Leaves broadly lanceolate, strongly ribbed, 
and leathery in texture, deep green. Scape nodding, terete, deep purple, a foot 
or eighteen inches long, and many-flowered. Sepals and petals nearly equal, spreading, 
oblong, obtuse, deep orange-yellow, passing into reddish brown at the margins ; 
lip three-lobed, obtusely spurred at the base, side-lobes broad, involute, sata 
purplish brown, middle lobe small, entire, orbicular, white, spotted and blotched wit 
deep purple. Column stout, semi-terete, thickened upwards, shorter than the lip, 
yellowish green. 
ERrIopsis RUTIDOBULBON, Hooker, Botanical Magazine, t. 4437; Annales de Gand, 
1849, t. 253; Williams, Orchid-Grower’s Manual, 6 ed., p- 824. 
The plant here represented belongs to a small genus of Epiphytal Orchids, 
which, when not in flower, bear much resemblance to the Indian genus Eria, from 
which circumstance it derives its name. The subject of our illustration has been 
introduced to cultivation for nearly fifty years, having been discovered by Mr. 
Purdie, whilst collecting for the Royal Gardens at Kew. It is a beautiful and 
very distinct plant, found growing wild on the stems of Palm trees, and fully 
exposed to the sun, in the State of Antioquia, United States of Colombia, at an 
elevation of from 4,000 to 5,000 ft. For a long time this was a very rare plant, 
but during the past few years several consignments have arrived in this country in 
good condition, which, being distributed, enable growers to more frequently observe 
it; but it is deserving of a more extended sphere of cultivation than it has 
yet obtained. 
We are indebted to the kindness of Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., M.P., of 
Burford Lodge, Dorking, for the opportunity of figuring this beautiful plant, in 
Whose choice and rare collection this species thrives and flowers well. 
Eriopsis rutidobulbon is a splendid species, with dark evergreen foliage. The 
Pseudobulbs are much wrinkled, or rugose, whilst in colour they are of a dull 
purplish-black ; they bear on the summit a pair of broadly lanceolate strongly ribbed 
leaves, and the spike issues from near the base of the growth. It attains a length 
of about eighteen inches, and, as will be seen by our illustration, it bears a long 
Ping raceme of handsome flowers, which are quite distinct in the arrangement 
of colours from most other members of the Orchid family. The sepals and petals 
M 
