SCHOMBURGKIA HUMBOLDTI. 
[ PLATE | 507. | 
Native of Venezuela. 
Epiphytal.  Pseudobulbs oblong-pyriform or  cylindraceous, invested with a 
greyish sheath, ribbed, two or three-leaved, four and a-half to five inches long. Leaves 
coriaceous, oblong, acute, deep green, four to five inches in length, one and a-half 
in breadth, Scape produced from the top of the pseudo-bulbs, upwards of two 
feet in height, many-flowered. Flowers three inches across; peduncles two 
inches long, rosy purple; sepals lanceolate-acute, slightly undulate, white or 
pale purplish rose, streaked with rosy purple, apex yellowish green; petals obovate, 
pale purplish rose, streaked and feathered radially with bright rose; lip four-lobed, 
the front lobes spreading, bright purple-magenta, veined regularly with deep magenta- 
purple, and bordered with a narrow white undulate serrate margin; side lobes 
folded over the column, rosy purple, veined with deep magenta-purple towards the 
margin; disk chrome-yellow veined with rosy purple. 
Scoompurek1a Humeoipt1, H. G. Reichenbach fil, Xenia Orchidacea, i. Pp. 
240.  Veitch’s Manual of Orchidaceous Plants, ii, p. 101. Williams’ Orchid 
Grower's Manual, 7th ed., p. 707. 
Epmrenprum Humpoipt1, H. G. Reichenbach fil, Iinnaea, 1848, xxii., p. 836. 
Bonplandia, ii, p. 19. Xenia Orchidacea, i., t. 52. 
Bietra Humpotptt, H. G. Reichenbach, Walper’s Annalen, v., p. 430. Xenia 
Orchidacea, ii., p. 58. 
The -present subject belongs to a genus which we regret to say is much 
neglected by Orchid growers, although there are some beautiful species which have 
been known to cultivators for many years. Doubtless this fact may be attributed 
to their shy-flowering qualities and the few specimens that are imported. Two of 
the best species, Schomburgkia tibicinis and S. undulatus, are figured wider plate 
205, vol, v., and plate 335, vol. vii, of this work. There is another very 
beautiful one, S. Lyonsti, with white flowers, spotted and barred with purple, of 
which there is a good figure in the Botanical Magazne. There are in all 
about a dozen species known to science, and certainly they may be classed as 
among our handsome Orchids, producing as they do large, many-flowered spikes 
of showy flowers. Botanically speaking, Schomburgkia comes very near to Laelia 
and Sophronitis. The genus was named in honour of Dr. Richard Schomburgk, 
a distinguished botanist who travelled in British Guiana in the forties with his 
brother, Sir Robert Schomburgk, who was for many years Director of the Botanic 
Gardens at Adelaide, South Australia. 
