SPATHOGLOTTIS. 717 



S. HOFFMANNSEGGII.-See S. ceenua. 

 S. NUTANS.-See S. ceknua. 



S. VIOLACEA, Lindl.—A pretty and distinct species, having small oval 

 pseudobulbs, each bearing a solitary linear dark green leaf longer than the one- 

 flowered scape, which produces during the winter months violet-coloured flowers, 

 which last long in beauty. — Organ Mountains. 



Fia.—Paxtau, Fl. Gard., iii. p. 11, f. 238 ; Bot. Man., t. 6880 : Orchid Album, vii. 

 t. 291. 



SPATHOGLOTTIS, Blume. 



(Trihc Epideudreae, swbtriie Bletieae.) 



A genus of terrestrial plants which for the most part inhaloit the 

 Eastern hemisphere, being found in various of the Indian and Malay 

 Islands, Hong-Kong and Southern China, as well as in some of the 

 Pacific Islands. It has not hitherto been particularly well represented 

 in our Orchid houses, one small-flowered species, S. Fortunei, only being 

 known in cultivation. They belong to the group of terrestrial Orchids, 

 and the recent additions to the genus will, we hope, help to bring that 

 interesting set of plants into more prominent notice. They are mostly 

 plants with underground corms from which rise their ensiform plicate 

 leaves, and stout spikes of bloom which are usually of some shade of 

 yellow; some few species, however, have pseudobulbs and produce 

 flowers of a white or rose colour, and these have a charming effect 

 when grouped with the yellow ones. The genus is allied to Bletia, 

 from which it is distinguished by its three-parted lip being clawed and 

 having a pair of small fleshy plates at its base, and by its two-celled 

 anther. 



Culture. — These plants require thorough drainage, over which should 

 rest a layer of living sphagnum moss to prevent the mould pereolating 

 into the drainage and choking it, and thus preventing the free outlet of 

 water, of which they require a good supply during the growing season ; 

 but during the time when the corms are inactive they may be removed 

 from the East Indian house and the water entirely withheld, saving just 

 sufficient to keep the soil in a nice moist condition; this may be composed 

 of about equal parts of peat, loam, and leaf-mould, to which may be added 

 some chopped sphagnum moss and some sharp sand, this when properly 

 mixed will make a good compost for the various species. 



