KESTREPIA. 



695 



green leaves 8 to 10 inches Icng, and a branching inflorescence bearing fifty to 

 sixty flowers, the peduncles stronger than those of its ally, and very floriferous ; 

 the dorsal sepal and petals are dark orange, the lower sepals broad, and of a 

 brilliant velvet-crimson shaded with lighter crimson, and the lip, which has the 

 middle lobe ligulate and the side lobes triangular, is small, deep crimson, with 

 yellow bars, and a white centre. There are a pair of quadrate lamellae in front 

 of the mouth of the conical spur. — Philippine Islands. 



EESTREPIA, Humboldt, Bonpland, et Kunth. 

 (Triie Bpidendreae, sultnie Pleurothallieae.) 

 A small genus of epiphytal Orcliids, somewhat resembling Pleurothallis, 

 and consisting of small-growing plants with slender tufted stems, each 

 supporting a single leaf, and a solitary small flower of very singular 

 structure. There are some twenty species described, all Tropical 

 American, but very few of them are worthy the attention of Orchid 

 amateurs, although, where the plants are grown for study or for scientific 

 purposes, the smaller flowers displaying microscopic beauties are equally 

 valuable with the larger flowers having showy colours. 



Ctdture. — The Bestrepias succeed best in the cool house with Odonto- 

 glosswms, and should be potted in a mixture of peat and sphagnum ; 

 a moderate supply of water all the year round will be found necessary 

 for their well-being. They 

 are increased by dividing 

 the plants, taking care to 

 have a leading growth or 

 eye to each piece. 



R. ANTENNIFERA, Humh. 

 Bonpl. et Kunth. — This is a 

 very elegant little plant, with 

 short slender' tufted stems, 

 which support a single ovate- 

 lanceolate leathery dark green 

 leaf, and from amongst them 

 other short slender stems 

 which bear the exceedingly 

 curious and handsome flowers, 

 in which the sepals are very 

 long, the upper one lanceolate, 

 running out into a filiform 

 apex more than 1 inch long, yellowish-white streaked with purple, the lateral 

 ones directed downwards and connate into a broad lanceolate bipartite con- 



EESTEEPIA ANTENNIFEKA. 



