Serr.-Oct., .1918.] THE ORCHID REVIEW. 1$9 
in the wildest parts of the Malayan and Papuan Archipelago. One of the 
pets of this excellent collector was this most admirable Orchid. It twines 
with its mighty stems spirally around trees, and excites the highest interest 
by its grand leaves. The flowers appear in dense, cylindrical, nodding 
racemes on very long pedicels. They are equal in width to those of a 
Bulbophyllum leopardinum. They are light brownish, and painted with 
violet. The brown lip has a violet hue (‘conspute violacea’). The 
peduncle itself is rosy with violet lines. It gives me great satisfaction to 
dedicate this unique Orchid to M. Beccari, the energetic and most 
successful traveller. He would be agreeably surprised to see his Bornean 
friend in ower in Europe. It appears there is good hope for this. The 
plant has appeared a third time, and is now in our reach. Mr. Bull has 
been so very lucky and successful as to get it alive.”—Gard. Chron., 
1879, a p. 41. : 
Over a year later an additional note appeared: ‘‘ A great stir had been 
caused by the unexpected flowering of this remarkable plant; we had not 
expected to see it so soon in such a state. When I obtained the case 
containing the inflorescence I smelt the most hideous stench of old fish 
that can be imagined. This had been observed by Odoardo Beccari, who 
Wrote: ‘TI fiori sono fetidi come Arum Dracunculus.” It bloomed in the 
éstablishment of Messrs. E. G. Henderson & Son, at Maida Vale, in the 
Nepenthes house (/.c. 1880, ii. p. 326). Shortly afterwards it also bloomed 
with Messrs. James Veitch & Sons, at Chelsea (l.c. p. 526). 
The Botanical Magazine figure was prepared from Messrs. E.G, 
Henderson’s plant, and Sir Joseph Hooker spoke of it as follows: ‘‘ This 
oy many respects one of the most gigantic of Orchids; I know of none 
With so stout a rhizome, so large a leaf, or such massive infloresence. On 
the other hand, specimens of various species of Vanilla are far more bulky ; 
and I have been credibly informed of a single plant of Vanda teres in 
Birma being a sufficient load for an elephant. In one character B. Beccarii 
'ranscends all other Orchids, if not all other vegetables, and that is in the 
feetor of its flowers, which is loathsome beyond description; of the same 
nature as that of Amorphophallus and of other Aroidez (that of putrid fish), 
but More diffused, penetrating and enduring. Although the drawing here 
sven was executed in an airy room, close to a large open window, the 
attist was tepeatedly overpowered by it, and was finally made for a time 
Teally ill, 
it is perhaps not remarkable that a plant with such a record should so 
quickly disappear ; it may or may not have proved an intractable subject, 
Mt it offered little ducenteat for perseverance in its culture. It is 
Probable that the leaf | preserved in Lindley’s Herbarium was obtained 
during Lobb’s visit to Labuan and North Borneo. 
