DENDROBIUM SUPERBUM (MACGROPHYLLUMi. 
[Puate 42. | 
Native of the Philippine Islands. 
Kpiphytal. Stems (pseudobulbs) stout, cylindrical, striated, the nodes of the 
flowering ones marked by the persistent scarious sheathing bases of the fallen leaves, 
drooping, and often attaining considerable length. Leaves alternate elliptic-oblong, 
acute or obtuse, subcordate at the base, nervose, thin in texture, two-ribbed. Flowers 
very numerous, usually in pairs from the joints of the stems, which form long floral 
wreaths ; sepals lanceolate, plane, the lateral ones produced at the base, of a deep 
rich purplish magenta, varying in intensity in different forms; petals broadly oblong- 
ovate, somewhat undulated, of the same colour as the sepals; lip pubescent, cordate- 
ovate, acuminate, convolute at the base, so that with the extended front lobe it 
assumes something of the shape of an oblique-mouthed funnel, the margin denticulate, 
the basal portion of an intense sanguineous purple, appearing like two deep blotches ; 
the front lobe purplish magenta, marked with longitudinal ribs, connected with finer | 
transverse veins of a deeper purple, and having a transverse three-lobed  callosity. 
Column short, included. ; 
DENDROBIUM supERBUM, Reichenbach fil. MSS.; Id., Walpers’ Annales Botanices 
Systematice, vi., 282; Williams, Orchid Grower's Manual, 5 ed., 180. 
DENDROBIUM MACROPHYLLUM, Lindley, Botanical Register, 1839, misc. 46; 1844, 
misc. 62; Id. Sertum Orchidaceum, t. 35; Pescatorea, t. 40; Pasxton’s Magazine 
of Botany, viii., 97. 
DENDROBIUM MACRANTHUM, Hooker, Botanical Magazine, t. 3970; Planchon in 
Flore des Serres, viii., t. 757. 
This is a magnificent Orchid, especially in the case of its finer varieties, whether 
Superior on the score of size or colouration. It was first bloomed by the Messrs. 
Loddiges in 1839, in their wonderful plant emporium at Hackney, having been 
introduced by them from the Philippine Islands. A grand variety called giganteum, 
having flowers of immense size, is figured in Mr. R. Warner's Select Orchidaceous 
Plants (1 ser., t. 26); and in respect to colour, the form of which we now give 
an illustration, is one of the richest and most effective we have yet seen. The materials 
from avhich our figure was prepared were obligingly sent to us by Mr. C. Penny, 
gardener to H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, at Sandringham. It will be at once seen 
that the specimen in question was a well-grown example, and we understand that 
the plant yielded two similarly well furnished wreaths, bearing as many as forty 
blossoms. Besides this there are many other Orchids of superior merit to be seen 
in the collection at Sandringham gardens, these plants, the magnates of the vegetable 
world, being highly appreciated both by the Prince and the Princess of Wales. 
