CYPRIPEDIUM INSIGNE. 
[Puate 155. | 
Native of India: Sylhet, $c. 
Epiphytal. Plant acaulescent, forming a dense tuft of evergreen foliage. Leaves 
distichous, linear-ligulate acute, channelled down the centre and clasping at the base, 
keeled at the back, smooth, leathery, of a pale unspotted green colour. Scapes 
erect issuing from the heart of the plant, erect, terete, downy, of a dark chocolate- | 
purple, each bearing one flower, which issues from an ovate green spathiform bract, 
which is about as long as the ovary. lowers large and showy, when well grown 
occasionally measuring five inches across from the tip of one petal to that of the 
other; sepals (dorsal) two and a half inches deep, fornicate, that is, thrown forward 
or overarching, oblong-obovate, wavy, emarginate, longitudinally ribbed, greenish yellow 
thickly dotted with brownish purple, the upper or anterior third white, the combined 
lateral sepals ovate greenish; petals spreading, linear-obovate, slightly undulated, 
bearded at the base, the outer surface pubescent, the inner greenish yellow, stripe 
and slightly reticulated with tawny brown, the margin being of a clear greenish 
yellow; lip saccate, oblong, the mouth inflected and bearing an obtuse erect obe on 
each side, of a deep tawny brown with greenish yellow rim. Staminode yellow, 
obcordate, glandular-pubescent with a small central boss. 
Cypripepium nsiGNe, Wallich MS; Lindley, Collectanea Botanica, t. 32; 
Hooker, Exotic Flora, t. 34; Id. Botanical Magazine, t. 3412; Loddiges, Botanical 
Cabinet, t. 1321; Flore des Serres, t. 1564; Maund, Botanist, ii., t. 56. 
This old inhabitant of our stoves and greenhouses has been a friend to all 
growers of plants, both for its use as a decorative object in conservatories and also 
for cutting purposes; in fact, anyone or everyone can grow it, who has a frame or 
pit with glass, or a small greenhouse. If well grown it produces its flowers during 
the autumn and winter months, and it will stand in a warm room during the 
blooming season, and continue for several weeks in perfection. We do not, indeed, 
know of a more accommodating species in the whole Orchid family. Mr. Bruce 
Findlay, of the Manchester Botanic Gardens, makes a special feature of this plant 
during the autumn and winter months. The secret of keeping up its blooming 
powers is to take care of it after the flowering season is over. 
The form we are figuring is a good variety of the type. There are other 
forms, such as C. Maulei, C. Chantinii, and C. punctatum-violaceum, which are more 
showy on account of their larger spots, but they are rare. It is with this as with 
all other species of Orchids, there are different varieties amongst the imported stock, 
but this, perhaps, varies less than do many other species. Our drawing was taken 
