PAPHLMA. 



641 



pendulous scapes bearing flowers of rather a grotesque appearance from 

 the peculiar distribution of their colours. They were originally assigned 

 to Maxillaria, but Bentham places them under Lycaste. They are found 

 wild in Demerara, Trinidad, and New Grenada. 



Culture.— The species of Paphinia succeed best in the East Indian 

 house, suspended from the roof in pots or pans of good fibrous peat and 

 sphagnum moss, with the addition of a few lumps of charcoal, and with 

 plenty of drainage. They enjoy a liberal supply of water at the roots during 

 the growing season. Propagation is eifected by separating the bulbs. 



P. CRISTATA, Limll. — A pretty dwarf free-flowering species, which grows 

 about 8 inches high, and has small shining oblong-ovate compressed slightly 

 furrowed pseudobulbs, 

 with two or more oblong- 

 Janceolate plicate leaves 

 from their apex, and from 

 the base a pendent scape, 

 usually bearing about 

 three iiowers which are 

 some 3 inches across; the 

 sepals and petals are all 

 lanceolate spreading, the 

 fleshy sepals and the 

 smaller petals are white 

 almost covered with lon- 

 gitudinal streaks, and 

 near the base with 

 transverse bars of darlv 

 chocolate-brown; the lip 

 is much smaller, thick, 

 and fleshy, somewhat 

 ovate in outline, shortly 

 clawed, with oblong aci- 

 haciform lateral lobes, 

 iuid a central rhomboidal 

 one, almost wholly of a 

 rich chocolate-brown, but 

 with a terminal tuft or 

 pencil of club - shaped 

 downy white fim.briae, the disk bidentate, and the column yellowish green 

 banded with chocolate. There are two varieties, one of which produces much 

 darker flowers than the other. It blooms at different times of the year, and 

 will remain in beauty for about a fortnight. — Demerara, Trinidad, New Grenada. 



Fia.— But. Iteff.,t. 1811 ; Bot . Mag .,t. iS36 ; Batem. Senond Cent. Orch. PI., t.lll ; 

 Flore des Strres, t. 3.So ; Maund, Botanist, ii. t. 75 ; Orchid Album, i. t. 34. 



Syn. — Maxillaria cristata. 



41 



PAPHINIA CKISTATA. 



