6o ORCHIDS 



Arachnanthe. 



A. Lowii {Be/ifh.). — A remarkable species, \vith a tall stem 

 lin. in diameter, bearing dark green, strap-shaped, leathery 

 leaves, 2ft. to 3ft. long. The drooping flower-spikes are 6ft. to 

 T2ft. in length, and slightly hairy, each bearing from thirty to 

 fifty flowers ; a plant under cultivation is recorded as having 

 carried twenty-si.x spikes at one time. An extraordinary charac- 

 teristic of this species is that of invariably producing, at the 

 base of every spike, a pair of flowers which differ in shape, 

 colour, and marking, from all the others. Under Catasettim a 

 somewhat similar occurrence is alluded to ; but in that genus 

 the flowers on the same plant differ in being male and female, 

 whereas in Araclnianthe Lowii there does not appear to be 

 any sexual difference. The basal pair of flowers are tawny- 

 yellow, dotted with crimson ; the sepals and petals being lance- 

 shaped and bluntish. All the other flowers are larger, and have 

 lance-shaped, wavy, more acute sepals and petals ; they are pale 

 yellowish-green, irregularly blotched with a rich reddish-brown. 

 The lip is about half the length of the sepals and petals, the 

 whole flower being 3in. in diameter. A native of liorneo, where it 

 is stated by Mr. \Vallace to grow on the lower branches of trees, 

 us flower-spikes nearly touching the ground. .Syns. ReiiaufJiera 

 Loic'ii, I'anda Lowii. (B. M., t. 5475.) 



A. moschifera {Biiime). — Flowers creamy-white or lemon, 

 spotted with purple, large, resembling a spider, delicately 

 musk-scented. A native of Java. A peculiar and rare plant. 

 The old flower-spikes produce flowers for a long time, and 

 should therefore not be cut as soon as the first blooms' have 

 passed. 



ARQYRORCHIS JAVANICA. Sec Macodes javanica. 



ARPOPHYLLUM. 



Llave and Lc.xarza founded the genus Arpophylliim, a 

 name derived from arpL\ a scimitar, and phvllon\ a leaf 

 the leaf being sword-shaped. It contains about six 

 species, all of botanical interest. They belong to the 

 Epidendircc. The chief cultural requirement is a light 

 position in an intermediate-house temperature The 

 plants thrive ^\-cll when grown under the same' condi- 

 tions as Lattleya. The most prominent species is the 

 one here described. 



