THE ORCHID REVIEW. 23 
DENDROBIUM FARMERI AND D. PALPEBRZ&. 
A Goon deal of uncertainty has been felt as to the limits of the above two 
species, and as the latter has again appeared in cultivation during recent 
years a few notes about them will probably be interesting. 
Dendrobium Farmeri originally flowered with W. F. G. Farmer, Esq., 
of Nonsuch Park, Cheam, Surrey, in March, 1848, when it was exhibited 
at the Horticultural Society’s rooms, in Regent Street, and was awarded 
a Silver Banksian Medal. It had been received from Dr. McClelland, of 
the Calcutta Botanic Garden, in the previous October, as D. densiflorum, 
but, proving different, was figured and described by Paxton (Mag. of Bot., 
XVI., p. 241, with plate). Various other figures subsequently appeared, 
but for a long time nothing was stated about the habitat, though it is now 
known to be a native of the eastern part of the lower Himalayan zone and 
the Khasia hills, also in the forests of Moulmein. The stems are quad- 
rangular, and the flowers borne in long pendulous racemes, the sepals and 
petals being more or less deeply tinged with pink, and the disc of the lip 
deep yellow. f 
D. Palpebre appeared shortly afterwards, having been received from 
Moulmein by Messrs. James Veitch & Sons, who flowered it in November, 
1849, and shortly afterwards it was described by Dr. Lindley (Journ. Hort. 
Soc., V., p. 33). It was compared with D. densiflorum, but is nearer D. 
Farmeri, having similar stems, but the racemes are shorter, the flowers are 
a little smaller, the sepals and petals white, and the lip not so broad. 
The name was given in allusion to the base of the lip being fringed with 
hairs, like eyelashes. It was discovered by Thomas Lobb. In 1860 a 
plant which flowered in the houses of MM. Jakob Makoy & Cie, at : Liége, 
was figured and described under the name of D. Farmeri var. albiflorum 
(E. Morr in Belg. Hort., X., p. 321, t. 21), which apparently belongs to 
D. Palpebra. Nothing further was stated as to its origin. Subsequently 
it was also figured in Flore des Serves (t. 2,461). In 1868 another plant, 
which had been introduced from Moulmein by Messrs. Hugh Low & Co., 
was figured and described under the name of D. Farmeri album (Regel, 
Gartenflora, XVIL., p. 321, t. 595), and this is precisely identical with D. 
Palpebrz in every respect. 
In 1864 a plant flowered at Kew, whic 
by the Rev. Mr. Parish, and was described and figured under the name of D. 
Farmeri var. aureo-flava. (Hook. Bot. Mag., t- 5451-) Of this Mr. Parish 
remarked :—* What if I were to say that Dendrobium Farmeri and D. 
chrysotoxum were one and the same? I know both of them extremely 
well, having had them growing for three years. There is no mistaking the 
two without the flowers. Two days ago, on going down into my garden, 
h had been sent from Moulmein 
