478 ORCHIDS 



Stanhopea. 



The petals are similar to the sepals, but smaller. The lip is so 

 remakable in form that the species was at first supposed to be 

 a monstrosity of some kind, and subsequently a new genus, 

 Stanhopcasirum, was founded upon it by Reichenbach. The 

 terminal lobe and horns, characteristic of the genus, are in this 

 species entirely absent, the lip being simply a fleshy, tuberculated 

 sac, about iJiin. long and lin. wide, and the narrow aperture is 

 partly covered by the short, fleshy column. The colour of both 

 column and lip is liright yellow, deepening to dark orange at the 

 base. The species was introduced from Central America in 

 1846. (B. M., t. 4885.) 



S. florida (Riiil'. /.). — Introduced about twenty-three years 

 ago, this species first flowered with Sir Trevor Lawrence, who 

 procured it at an auction sale. It belongs to the section repre- 

 sented by .v. iiisi[!^'iiis, and is a native of Mexico. The flowers 

 are produced on a stout, pendulous scape, strong plants bearing 

 as many as seven on a single scape, each being 5iii. across. 

 The sepals are 3ui. l)y i.\in., white, with small purple dots. 

 The petals are smaller, and coloured like the sepals. The liji 

 has a thick, flesh)-, sac-like base, and is whitish, thickly spotted 

 with puriile, having a large, eye-like l)lotch on each side at the 

 base. ((',. C, 1881, p. 565, fig. 108.) 



S. grandiflora (////(//.).— A synonym of S. econuita. 



S. insig-nis {Hook.'). — A very handsome species, related to 

 S. InicepJiiiliis. Pseudo-bulb ovate and ribbed ; leaf stout, leathery, 

 with a short petiole and a blade ift. long by 4in. wide. Scape 

 about Gin. long, covered with dark brown sheaths, two- to four- 

 flowered. Flowers sin. across; sepals broad, concave, spreading, 

 dull yellow, spotted with purple ; petals narrow, wavy, thin, 

 coloured like the sepals; base of the lip short and globose, 

 thick and wax-like, lin. deep, with a broad margin, the colour 

 a dull white, with numerous spots of bright purple, wholly purple 

 inside the cavity; horns lin. long, curved upwards and forwards; 

 mid-lobe heart-shaped, channelled, and narrowed to a point. 

 This species was the first to flower under cultivation, and the 

 genus Stanhopea was founded upon it by Sir William Hooker, 

 in compliment to Earl Stanhope, then President of the JMedico- 

 Botanical Society of London. It was introduced from South 

 America to Kew, and flowered there in 1820. (Fi" 164' B M 

 t. 2948.) 4, . ■, 



\^^\. flava has the lip and column like the type, white tinged 

 with yellow. The flowers are very large, reminding one" of 

 .S'. tigriiia. 



S. Jenischiana {A'rama-).~A synonym of .S'. bucephaliis. 



