io 4 THE ORCHID REVIEW. 



same species of plant to occur upon both, because both are furnished with 

 deposits of humus, on which these plants thrive. The two habitats have 

 something in common, and hence a number of pseudo-epiphytes are in- 

 different to their particular situation, provided they can obtain the neces- 

 sary supplies of food and moisture. 



These are somewhat analagous to some of the saprophytes of deep, 

 shady woods. The latter, although terrestrial, grow almost entirely upon 

 humus, or decaying vegetable matter, which is so essential to them that 

 they cannot exist in soils deficient in humus. These are mentioned to 

 show in what respect the two groups have a common character. 

 (To be continued.) 



EPIDENDRUM PUMILUM. 



This rare and interesting little plant has again appeared in cultivation, 

 having flowered with Messrs. Charlesworth & Co., Heaton, Bradford. It 

 is a native of Costa Rica, and was described in 1893 (Rolfe in Kew Bulletin, 

 1 ^93, P- 171) as follows : — " A pretty little species, allied to E. Endresii, 

 Rchb. f. (apparently the nearest ally which has yet appeared), but very 

 different in the shape of its leaves and the colour of its flowers. It was 

 imported by Messrs. F. Sander & Co., St. Albans, with whom it flowered 

 in January, 1890. Early in the present year it was also received for 

 determination from Mr. F. W. Moore, Glasnevin Botanic Garden. The sepals 

 and petals are light greenish yellow, also the lip, with the exception of the 

 orange-yellow callus. The column is very pale green below, nearlv white 

 above. As in E. Endresii, the sheaths of the leaves are covered with small 

 brown warts." It belongs to a small but ill-defined group, for which 

 Reichenbach in 1852 proposed the generic name (Erstedella (Bot. Zeit., x., 

 p. 932), on account of its petaloid column, but afterwards united with 

 Epidendrum (Beitr. Orck. Cent. Amer., p. 37). The original species is E. 

 centropetalum (Rchb. f. in Bot. Zeit., x., p. 732), which was collected on 

 the Chiriqui Volcano, at 7,000 feet altitude, by Warscewicz, and has rose- 

 coloured flowers. The other two species are E. Endresii and the present 

 one. E. centropetalum never seems to have been introduced to cultivation, 

 but it has been figured from dried specimens, under the name of CErstedella 

 centropetala (Rchb. f. Xeu. O'rch., i., p. 40, t. 17, fig. 2), together with CE. 

 centradenia {I.e., p. 39, t. 17, fig. 1), which proves to be only a form of the 

 same species. It would be interesting to introduce this species to culti- 

 vation, as, from its dwarf habit and rose-coloured flowers, it should prove 

 as attractive as E. Endresii. 



R. A. Rolfe. 



