45 



PHAIUS BLUMEI lml 



VAR. ASSAM IC US RM.f. 



a -a ■ P ^ AI u S BLUMEL Elatus ' foliis lanceolatis v. elliptico-lanceolatis acuminatis plicatis, scapo aphyllo vaginato, bracteis ovato-lanceolatis acuminatis 

 deciduis flonbus specios.s, sepahs petalisque patentibus subaequalibus lanceolatis acuminatis extus pallidis intus coloratis, labello subsquilongo convolute 

 tnlobo, lobis laterahbus brevibus obtusis, intermedio suborbiculari apiculato crispato, disco obscure trilamellato parce piloso, calcare brevi incurvo obtuso v 

 brevissime bidentato, columna clavata antice et dorso cum anthera puberula. 



? * A ™1 Blumei Lindl. Gen. & Sp. Orch. (1831), p. 127 ; De Vriese 111. Orch. Ind. Xeerland., tt. 8, 1 1, fig. 8 ; Rlume Coll. Orch. Archip. Ind, p. 2, tt. 

 I, 5, fig- 8 ; Gartenflora, XIV., p. 67, t. 464 ; Seem. Fl. Vit, p. 299. * F 



P. GRANDIFOLIUS var. BLUMEI, Veitch Man. Orch, pt. VI, p. 11. 



LlMODORUM [NCARVILLEI, Blumc Bijdr. Fl. Nederl. Ind. (1825), p. 374. 



Var. Bernavsii, Rchb. f, ex. Hook. f. Bot. Mag, t. 6032. 



Var. ASSAMICUS, Rchb. f. in Gard. Chron, 1882, pt. I, p. 557. 



Phaius Blumei was originally described under the name of Limodorum Incarvillei, from specimens cultivated in Javanese Gardens which had 

 originally -been obtained from Mount Salak, in the western part of that island. It was afterwards met with in Upper Burmah, by Griffith, in Moulmein, by 

 the Rev C. Parish, and in the Fiji Islands, by Seemann, all of whom secured dried specimens. The variety Bernaysii, in which the coppery red of the sepals 

 and petals is replaced by yellow, is said to have been introduced from Queensland. The variety assamicus, Rchb. f, is a native of Eastern Assam and Upper 

 hurmah and its author declares it to be one of the most variable orchids as to colour that he knows of. The inside of the sepals and petals varies from light 

 butt yellow to reddish brown, and the lip from light yellow bordered with white to orange bordered with purple, and with or without a purple blotch on the 

 disc. It is one of the lighter forms which is here figured. Phaius Blumei is closely allied to P. grandifolius, Lour, P. Wallichii, Lindl, and P. bicolor, Lindl.; 

 indeed it has been variously combined with them by different authors, though, as I think, erroneously. P. grandifolius has shorter, less acuminate sepals and 

 petals, a shorter and broader lip, with a somewhat shorter and stouter spur. It is a native of South China, Queensland, New Caledonia, and Tonga Island, 

 and is now naturalised in Jamaica. P. Wallichii has the spur over twice as long as in P. Blumei, though in shape and size the two are otherwise much alike. 

 It is a native of Sikkim, Khasia, and Sylhet. The fourth species, P. bicolor, has considerably smaller flowers than P. Wallichii, with a long but more slender 

 spur. Its colours are also brighter than in that species. It is a native of Ceylon. Closely allied as these species undoubtedly are, they can be readily 

 separated by the characters here pointed out. The present plant is said to be very abundant in certain localities in Eastern Assam, and during the flowering 

 season its noble racemes, set off as they are with the handsome foliage, form a conspicuous feature in the landscape. R. A. Rolfe. 



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The genus Phaius has never been a very popular one with orchid growers of the past, but we were surprised the other 

 day to hear a cultivator of the most select and beautiful of orchids asking for strong plants of P. grandifolius and of its 

 variety, P. Wallichii. For a century or more the Chinese P. grandifolius has been grown in English gardens as a stove 

 plant, and as well and cleanly grown, with fifteen to thirty of its massive spikes towering above its glossy, Curculigo-like 

 leaves, it is a sight not easily forgotten. Of late years this plant has quite naturalised itself in Jamaica, and is now 

 apparently wild there, although well known to be an introduction to that island. Only about twenty species of Phaius 

 are known to exist, and they are mostly scattered about Tropical Asia, but a few extend to Australia, and the choicest 

 species, such as P. tuberculosa and P. Humblotii, come from the African Archipelago and Madagascar. 



Among the many fine species that the genus has produced, none so prolific in variation has appeared as the Assam 

 plant. It was described by the late Prof. Reichenbach in 1882, who stated that he could not distinguish it from the 

 Javanese species, except that the Assam species is always monandrous, while the Java species is usually triandrous but 

 is sometimes diandrous or nearly pentandrous, but never monandrous. " Philosophers may teach us," adds the learned 

 Professor {Gard. Chron., .882, p. 558), " whether this be the type or the Javanese one. To me this is wholly indifferent 

 as there are numerous cases where such developments ascend, and others when they descend to the original state." 



The variety Sanderianus appeared in an importation from the extreme north of Assam, and flowered for the first 

 time in May, 1892, when it was shown before the Orchid Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society, and received an 

 Award of Merit. A few weeks later it was exhibited at the great Temple Show (May 25-26), when its flowers were fully 

 developed, and was then granted a First-class Certificate. It is a vigorous-growing species-more so even than P 

 grandifolius, while its flowers are of greater size than in any other species. The sepals and petals are glossy bronze in 

 colour; the lip very large, with a bold margin of white, having a large blotch of a dusky rose shade. It is altogether a 

 fine species. " & 



