COMPARETTIA MACROPLECTRON. 
[PLaTe 65.] 
Native of New Grenada. 
Epiphytal. Pseudobulbs small, oblong, truncate, compressed or flattish, with the 
angles rounded, of a pinkish colour, monophyllous or sometimes a second leaf 
sheathing the bulb. Leaves oblong ligulate, acute, keeled, bright green, shining. 
Peduncles slender, drooping, lateral, sheathed at the base by ovate-lanceolate bracts, 
and bearing a secund raceme of flowers having minute scale-like bracts at the base 
of their inch-long pedicels. Flowers large, of a delicate rose colour, prettily spotted ; 
dorsal sepal ligulate acute, umbonate at the back near the base; lateral sepals 
ligulate acute, fornicate, connate into a slender pointed spur two inches in length, 
all blush-white, thickly spotted with purple; petals cuneate-ovate acute, purplish rose, 
covered with deep rosy purple dots; lip with a pair of blunt-angled auricles at the 
ase, and a linear keel-shaped claw, the anterior lobe subquadrate, an inch and a 
half broad, emarginate with an apiculus, of a pleasing delicate tint of soft magenta- 
rose, deeper near the claw, where it is marked by a few purple spots, the sides 
crenate or repand, the two included spurs of the lip elongate, and nely geri 
orange coloured in the inferior half. Colwmn free, erect, with a perpendicular ridge 
in the middle of the stigmatic hollow. 
CoMPARETTIA MACROPLECTRON, Reichenbach fil. et Triana, in Gardeners’ Chronicle, 
HG, Si 624: Id. xi, 898. : 
The Comparettias form a small genus of very dwarf-growing Orchids, some of the 
species of which are, not only very beautiful, but also free blooming. That which 
we now illustrate is a most charming plant. The original, from which the drawing 
was made, was sent to us by F. A. Philbrick, Esq., Q.C., of Oldfield, Bickley, and 
was a well-grown specimen, which did great credit to Mr. Heims, the gardener. 
Generally these plants have not been well managed, but latterly they appear to 
have been better looked after, and we have received, from Sir Trevor Lawrence, 
Bart., M.P., and others, specimens of other desirable kinds, which we hope to illustrate 
in due course. We are glad to find that our collectors are turning their attention to 
the importation of the Comparettias, as there are some lovely species among them. 
Moreover, they require but little space to grow them in, and they are always 
charming when in blossom. ; 
Comparettia macroplectron is an evergreen and very floriferous plant, with small 
peculiarly-shaped pseudobulbs, and short bright green glossy leaves. The flower-spikes 
- are produced from the base of the pseudobulbs, and bear five or sometimes more 
~ flowers in a drooping raceme. ‘The sepals and petals are rose colour, the former 
paler than the latter, and both are spotted with a deeper tint of rose-purple; the 
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