-SPATHOGLOTTIS GRACILIS. 
[PLate 520 ] 
Native of Borneo. 
Terrestrial. | Pseudobulbs small, conical, produced from a rhizome, invested with 
the remains of the brownish imbricating scales. Leaves plaited, oblong-lanceolate, 
acuminate, bright green, three feet or more in length. Scape erect, usually longer 
than the leaves, producing from eight to ten bright canary-yellow flowers which 
measure three inches across, Sepals and petals sub-equal, obovate-oblong, acute, 
the former keeled at the back; lip three-lobed, lateral lobes obovate-truneate, 
incurved, bright yellow, spotted with carmine at the base; mid-lobe very narrow 
at the middle, provided with two auricles at the base, one on each side, the 
apex broadly obcordate, dilated. 
SPATHOGLOTTIS GRactLIs, Rolfe, in Herbarium Kewense. J. D. Hooker, in 
Botanical Magazine, 1894, t. 7366. Rolfe, in WReichenbachia, 2nd series, ii., 
p. 95, (with analytical figure). 
The history of our present subject is somewhat involved owing to the fact 
that no less than three species, Spathoglottis aurea, S. gracilis and S. Kimballiana, 
have been confused one with the other. The two latter were introduced at 
the same time, in 1886, from Borneo by Messrs. Sander; the last named was 
exhibited by Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., before the Royal Horticultural Society on 
March 27th, 1888, and figured in the Gardeners’ Chronicle, 1888, 3rd_ series, 
vol. iv., p. 98, fig. 9, but Professor Reichenbach merged the name into the 
synonymy of S. aurea. Mr. Rolfe thinks it is very doubtful whether S. aurea is 
in cultivation at the present time, although S. gracilis is sometimes cultivated under 
that name. When we first received the material from which our plate was taken 
under the name of S. aurea the fact of this confusion of the three allied species 
had been overlooked, and was not discovered till the description was drawn up and 
after the plate had been printed; this will account for the discrepancy between 
the names on the plate and that in the text. Comparison with the published 
descriptions and figures convinced us at once that what, hitherto, we had considered 
to be S. aurea proved to be S. gracilis, and the Editor of the Orchid Review 
was obliging enough to confirm our opinion. 
Spathoglottis gracilis is a graceful and handsome terrestrial plant, the smal 
pseudobulbs being produced from a creeping rhizome. The leaves are from two 
to three feet long, bright green plaited, ovate-lanceolate acuminate. The scape is 
produced from the base of the pseudobulbs, and bears from eight st ten handsome 
“inary-yellow flowers, with some carmine spots and marks on the lip. 
