44 ORCHIDS 



Aerides. 



A. odoratum (Lour.). — Although perhaps the commonest 

 Aa-idcs in cultivation, it may take rank amongst the most beauti- 

 ful. The leaves are strap-shaped, recurved, and dark green. The 

 racemes are longer than the leaves, many-flowered, and pendulous. 

 The flowers are very fragrant, the sepals and petals creamy-white, 

 tipped with purple, and the lip is three-lobed, the middle lobe 

 being ovate and inflexed, the spur conical and incurved, and of 

 the same colour as the sepals. It flowers in May, June, and 

 July. The original A. odoratum was among the first of the 

 tropical Orchids introduced to this country, having been sent to 

 Kew Gardens, from China, by Sir Joseph Banks, in 1800. It 

 is a native of various parts of India, and also of China and 

 Cochin China, and is often cultivated in those countries for 

 house decoration on account of the beauty and fragrance of its 

 blossoms. (B. M., t. 4139.) 



There are several varieties of this species ; of these, mams 

 and pitrpiirasccns are the best. 



A. quinquevulnerum (Litidl.). — The leaves are strap-shaped, 

 some i2in. long, tightly clasping the stem at the l)ase, and of 

 a bright shining green. The raceme is longer tlian the leaves, 

 pendulous, and many-flowered, the flowers being large, dense, 

 and fragrant. The sepals and petals are rounded, white, marked 

 with five reddish-crimson blotches (from which the species takes 

 its name), and tipped with purple. The lip is cucullate, and 

 funnel-shaped, the side lobes being erect, and tlie centre lobe 

 oblong, incurved and serrated, of the same colour as the 

 sepals ; spur conical, green. It flowers during late summer and 

 early autumn. Introduced from the Philippines by Cuming, in 

 1837, and has since been found in Timor. (P. M. B., viii. 241.) 



A. radicosum (.4. Rich.). — Flowers jin. across ; sepals and petals 

 light rose-purple, spotted with deep purple, the lateral sepal 

 largest; lip three-lobed, the mid-lobe rich rose-purple; spur horn- 

 like, compressed ; pedicels pale rose-purple ; peduncles racemose, 

 rarely branched. A native of Southern India. Syn. A. ruhrtim 

 {of gardens). 



A. Rohanianum {RcJib. /.). — A synonym of R. suavissimiim. 



A. roseum (Lodd.). — A synonym of A. miiltlJJonim. 



A. rubrum {Hort.). — A synonym of A. radicosinn. 



A. Sanderianum {Rchl>. /.). — .\ synonym of A. Zaio/r/nvir 

 Saiidcria/uim. 



A. suavissimum (Liiid/.). — A handsome, robust-growing 

 plant, which attains a considerable height when well treated. The 

 leaves are flaccid, some loin. long, light green, and profusely 

 freckled with brown dots. The numerous flower-spikes are 



