THE FIERY-RED MORMODES (MORMODES IGNEUM). 

 A hothouse Epiphyte from Central America, be- 

 longing to the natural order of Orchids. The flower 

 in the middle of the plate, to which the name of 

 igneum is given, is conspicuous for the great size 

 of its parts and for its intense colouring. A stiff 

 stalk, about a foot high, bears a dozen large fleshy- 

 flowers, of which the sepals and petals are alike 

 chocolate-coloured, and the lip a rich fiery orange- 

 brown. There is no streaking or spotting in any part 

 of the surface. The sepals are flat, linear-lanceolate, 

 very sharp, and spread flat out, even turning backward 

 after a time ; the petals, on the contrary, are erect, 

 and somewhat broader. The lip, a tough fleshy body, 

 when spread out has an elliptical outline, with a 

 major axis transverse, and the edge extends into a 

 triangular point on one side ; in its natural condition 

 it is rolled back, and folded so as to look as if angular 

 though not really so. 



The smaller figures vary somewhat from the 

 larger. One has dingy red flowers, marked with 

 lines of dots ; and the other has dark lake flowers 

 speckled irregularly with red, but not dotted ; their 

 lips are thinner, smaller, and have a decidedly angular 

 outline. 



