DENDROBIUM SUAVISSIMUM. 
: 
[PuaTE 18. ] 
Native of Burmah. 
Epiphytal. Stems (or pseudobulbs) about a foot long, cuneately-fusiform, tapering 
below into a longish stalk-like base, bluntly angulate, bearing one or two pairs of 
leaves at the top, and invested below with close ovate membranaccous bracts. Leaves 
somewhat coriaceous, oblong-ligulate, cuneate at the base and acute at the apex. 
Flower-spikes ten to twelve inches long, bracteate at the base, terminal or nearly 
terminal, produced freely on the two-year-old stems. Flowers large, showy, numerous, 
of a brilliant yellow; sepals ligulate acute, bright golden yellow; petals broader, 
cuneately-oblong, obtusely-acute, of the same colour as the sepals; lip (labellum) 
deep bright yellow, marked on the® disk with a broad curved band of rich dark 
sanguineous purple, almost black, cucullate, cuneate-oblong at the base, where it is 
folded over the column, roundish and emarginate in front, undulate and ciliolate at 
the margin, densely asperulous with erect. acute papille forming a close crispy 
covering over the surface. 
DENDROBIUM sUAVIssIMUM, Reichenbach fil., in Gardeners’ Chronicle, N.8., i. 406; v. 756. 
This fine Dendrobe, of which Reichenbach remarks:—I believe it is one of the 
best Dendrobia ever imported,” was introduced in 1873 by Mr. Low, of Clapton, 
as recorded in the Gardeners’ Chronicle for 1874 (N.8., i. 406), where it was first 
described. It is again referred to in the same publication in 1876 (x.s., v. 756), 
where the German Professor remarks :—‘The species stands indeed, as has been 
stated before, close to Dendrobium chrysotocum. The flowers are smaller, the fringe 
is made by much shorter papille, the chin is shorter, the petals are narrower, the 
lip does not expand to an open mass, but its lateral parts keep bent over the base, 
thus forming a cucullate body so as to allow the beautiful dark blackish spot to be 
seen, and which contrasts “so well with the deep yellow of the flower. There are 
also a few blackish streaks on each side of the base of the lip.” 
Dendrobium suavissimum is one of the most beautiful species of the yellow- 
flowered section of this vast genus, and one that is much admired and sought after 
by Orchid growers. The accompanying plate is a good re : e8t ntation of the plant, 
and from this it will be seen that it is one of the most attractive of summer- 
flowering Orchids. Our sketch was taken from a specimen exhibited by us during 
the present year, at the Royal Botanic Society’s Garden in the Regent's Park. 
Formerly this was a very rare plant, but within the last few years it has been 
sent home in considerable quantities by collectors, and it has in consequence become 
. $ : 
+. 
* 
