464 ORCHIDS 



Seraph yta. 



Meyer is from scr, a silkworm, and pliytoii, a plant ; in 

 allusion to some fancied resemblance between the flower 

 and the silkworm. The species .S". iiiiilti flora (S^-n. 5. dif- 

 fusa), a nati\-e of the West Indies, requires intermediate- 

 house treatment. The plant is also sometimes found in 

 cultivation under the name of Epidciidniiii diffiisitm. It 

 is of little horticultural interest. 



SERAPIAS. 



Linn.tus founded this genus of hard}' terrestrial Orchids 

 belonging to the tribe OplirydeiV. It contains three or 

 four species, natives of the Mediterranean region. The 

 generic name, the old Greek one given by Dioscorides to 

 one of the Orchids, is derived from the Eg\-ptian deity 

 Serapis. Flowers often rather large, few in a spike ; 

 sepals erect, connivent or coherent in a tube ; petals some- 

 times smaller, sometimes scarcely shorter, but much 

 narrowed ; lip three-lobed, the lateral lobes erect, the 

 middle one tongue-shaped and pendulous. Leaves narrow. 

 Tubers undivided. .i". cordigera (L.) and .S~. lingua (L.) 

 are the two species usually found in cultivation. 



SIEVEKINQIA. 



Four species of sto\'e Orchids, belonging to the tribe 

 ]^aiide(E, are known under the above commemorative name, 

 bestowed b}' the \-ounger Reichenbach. Only one species 

 has as yet been introduced ; this requires similar culture 

 to Acincta. 



S. Reichenbachiana (Rchh. /). — Flowers about six, in a pen- 

 dulous corymb, each about 2in. across ; sepals pale straw-colour, 

 concave ; petals narrower, and, as well as the lip, fringed with 

 deep yellow hairs ; lip blotched with red ; peduncle 2in. long. 

 Leaves solitary, elliptic-lanceolate, plicate, prominently ribbed ; 

 petioles speckled with red. Pseudo-bulbs long, clustered, blotched 

 with red. Ecuador, 1S90. (B. M., 7576.) 



SIQMATOSTALIX. 



Warm intermediate-house Orchids belonging to the tribe 

 \ aiidciC. The name, gi\-en by the younger Reichenbach, 

 is from signia, sigiuatos, S-shaped, and stalix, a stake. 



