456 ORCHIDS 



Scuticaria. 



Var pardalina is a rare and eijually beautiful variety, with 

 brown circular markings on the sepals and petals. 



S. Steelii {Liiidl.). — Although terete leaves are not infrequently 

 met with amongst Orchids, in no species do they attain such a 

 length, or afford such a distinctive character, as in this. They are 

 occasjonally 4jft. long, a little thicker than a goose-quill, flexible, 

 channelled on one side. The flowers are very handsome, and in 

 good varieties measure 4in. in diameter, from one to three occurring 

 on each scape ; the sepals and petals are broad-oblong, overlapping, 

 pale yellow, freely blotched with chocolate ; the lip is large, three- 

 lobed, creamy-white, handsomely striped with brownish-purple. 

 British Guiana, 1834. The flowers are produced at all seasons. 

 (B. M., t. 3573.) 



SELENIPEDIUM. 



In gardens this genus of stove terrestrial Orchids, of 

 the tribe i ypripedicce, is included with Cvpt'ipediutn, from 

 which it differs in having a three-celled and three- 

 furrowed or three-lobed ovary^. The species are natives of 

 the mountainous parts of South America. Reichenbach's 

 name is from selenis, a little crescent, and pcdioti or podion, 

 a slipper ; in allusion to the crescentic, slipper-shaped lip. 



The cultural requirements will be found under Cypri- 

 ticdiuiii. The genus includes Uropcdiiiin. 



S. Boissierianum {RiPdi.f.). — A rare as well as an interesting 

 plant. The foliage is narrow, grass-like, ift. to 2rt. long, some- 

 what recurved, and shining green. The scape is erect, as long 

 as the leaves, branching, many-flowered, the flowers expanding 

 in slow succession. The flower is 6in. across ; the dorsal sepal 

 is narrow, curved forwards, crisp-edged ; the petals are 3in. 

 long, \m. broad, crisp-edged and twisted, and they stand out 

 horizontally; the jiouch is liin. long, lin. broad, rounded and 

 smooth like an egg, save at the mouth, where it is curiously 

 cut. Each flower is subtended by a large, boat-shaped bract. 

 The colour is yellow, \-ciiied and tinged with bright green, and 

 margined with white. Peru, 1S76. Sym S. reliciilatiim. "(L., t. 10.) 



S. caricinum (AV///'./.). — In this sedge-like species the leaves 

 spring in tufts from stout, cree[)ing rhizomes ; they are green, 

 somewhat rigid, and about ift. long. Scape erect, bearing four 

 to SIX flowers, which are medium-sized, pale green, with white 

 margins to the sepals and petals ; pouch bright green, with a row 



