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ORCHID-GROWERS MANUAL. 



P. THOMSONIANUM, BoU. /.—A very pretty dwarf-growing plant, with 

 small depressed orbicular tunicate pseudobulbs, solitary erect elliptic lanceolate 

 plicate leaves, and erect slender scapes from the base of the bulbs bearing from 

 one to three flowers, each being from 3 to 3^ inches across and spreading ; the 

 dorsal sepal is erect oblong-lanceolate acuminate, larger than the rest, the lateral , 

 imes being decurved, the petals are also lanceolate spreading, all these being 

 pure white ; the lip is 1 inch long, trifid, with erect conchoid sub-quadrate lateral 

 lobes, the central one lanceolate triangular, the apex tapered and recurved, white 

 marked with broad reddish-purple streaks. It flowers in October and November, 

 and is very rare. — West Tropical Africa. 



Fig. — JSot. Mag., t. 6471 ; Xenia Orch., iii. t. 213 ; Gard. Chron., N.S., xii. p. 624, 

 1 102—3 ; Id., xvii'i. p. 501, f. 87 ; Orchid Album, v. t. 220'; Veitch's Man. Orch. PL, 

 vi. p. 4. 



PALUMBINA, Bchh.f. 



(^Tribe Vandeae, subtribe Oncidieae.) 

 The only species referred here was at first very doubtfully stationed 

 in Onoidium by Lindley, and next separated from Oncidium under the 

 name of Palumbina by Keichenbach. Bentham puts it back into 

 Oncidium. It appears to differ in its lateral sepals being connate into 

 one, forming a short concave emarginate organ, in its peculiar "tabula 

 stigmatica," and, according to Lindley, in its four pollen-masses. It is 

 a Guatemalan plant. 



Gvlture. — A rare and interesting species, which thrives best under 

 rather cool treatment. It will do in a pot, with peat, moss, and good 

 drainage, but it does not require much water at the roots at any time. 

 It should be grown in the cool house. 



P. CANDIDA, iic7i6. /.— This interesting plant is very distinct in habit and 

 appearance. The pseudobulbs are narrow compressed ligulate, bearing each a 

 linear or cuneate-ligulate pale green leaf ; the scapes are slender, dark purplish, 

 bearing a raceme of several.flat waxy white flowers, which continue in perfection 

 a long time; of these the sepals are oblong sub-acute, the lateral ones connate to 

 the tip, the petals larger, also oblong, and lip elongate ovate. — Guatemala. 



Fir. — Sot. Mag., t. 5546; Gard. Chron., 1865, p. 793, with fig.; Id., N.s. xx p 233 

 f . 35 ; Veitch's Mart. Orch. PI., yii\.y>.l^; Orchid Album, xi. t. i9Q. ' ' 



Syn. — Oncidium candidum. 



Pa PH INI A, Lindley. 



{Tribe Vandeae, subtribe Cyrtopodieae.) 

 Of this pretty genus there are only a few species known, but they 

 are aH well worth growing, being compact in habit, and having short 

 pseudobulbs, plicate leaves from 6 inches to 1 foot in length, and 



