ANGR^CUM CITRATUM 



[Plate 300.] 



Native of Madagascar 



Epiphytal. Stem short, from which is produced numerous slender flat roots. 

 Leaves distichous, oblong-lanceolate acuminate, narrowing towards the base, some 



four inches long, bright green on the upper side, paler beneath. Scape axillary, 



pendulous, furnished with numerous apprcssed, blackish brown sheathing bracts. 

 Raceme six to nine inches long, many-flowered, flowers flat and spreading, slightly 

 less than an inch across, yellowish white, or pale citron-yellow in colour ; sepals 

 oboYate-spathulate, obtuse, lateral ones slightly reflexed, dorsal one arching over the 

 column ; petals much larger than the sepals, orbicular, obovate, shortly clawed ; 

 lip flat, orbicular, eraarginate, furnished with a broad claw ; spur slender, flexuous, 

 much longer than the lip. 



AxGK^cuM CITRATUM, Du Petit Thoiiars, Histoire particidiere des Plantes 

 Orchidees recueiUies siir les trois ties Aiistrales d'Afriqiiey t. 61; Hooker, Botanical 

 Magazine, t. 5624 ; L Illustration Horticole^ t. 662 ; Williams^ Orchid -Groiver^s 

 Manned, 6 ed., p. 115. 



Until within the last few years this plant was extremely rare in Orchid 

 collections ; it has, however, now become very plentiful, thanks to the energy of 

 our Orchid collectors, and it may now be found in almost every collection. It is 

 a small compact-growing species, as a glance at our illustration will show ; and it 

 produces its graceful spikes of flowers in great profusion. The leaves are oblong- 

 lanceolate, bright green, and the long pendulous racemes of flowers are produced 

 from the axils of the leaves. The flowers, which are closely and evenly set upon 

 the raceme, yield an agreeable perfume, and are yellowish white, producing a 

 charming efi'ect when hanging from the baskets. We were very much struck with 

 this cliarming plant a few years ago in the collection of W. Lee, Esq., Downside, 

 Leatherhead, where it was grown in great profusion, and was in bloom at the 

 lime of our visit. There were many fine plants suspended round the house, their 

 fine racemes of bloom hanging very gracefully with their pretty white flowers ; 

 they were considerably above the Phalsenopsis, of which there was a grand lot of 

 spikes, and the foliage was magnificent. Some of the species were in bloom, such 

 as P. Schilleriana with its mauve-coloured flowers, P. amahilis and P. grandijiora 

 with their showy white blossoms, also P. Stuartiana with its white and spotted 

 flowers, and many others. It was the finest display of these showy flowers that 

 has come under our notice. The middle stage was also full of fine specimens, 

 bearing numerous strong and large spikes ; the side tables, over which the 



