OKCHIDS. 



25 



and more robust-growing plant than the type ; 

 racemes very long and dense, and the flowers are 

 much larger, colour deep rich rose, profusely spotted. 

 June and July. Upper India. 



A. Schroederi. — This is one of the most beautiful 

 and, at the same time, one of the rarest of the whole 

 genus. By some authorities it is considered a hybrid 

 between A. maculosum and A. crispum, and by others 

 as a variety only of 

 maculosum. It, how- 

 ever, is very dis- 

 tinct in its growth, 

 and exhibits con- 

 siderable differences 

 in the structure 

 of the flower from 

 either of the species 

 it is supposed to be 

 related to. It would 

 appear to be very 

 rare in its native 

 country, one plant 

 only having been 

 brought to England, 

 Leaves ligulate, 

 obtuse, obliquely 

 emarginate at the 

 apex, about ten 

 inches long, and 

 intense deep green; 

 racemes erect or arch- 

 ing, much branched, 

 and nearly two feet 

 in length ; sepals 

 and petals nearly 

 equal, obovate and 

 obtuse, spreading, 

 "white tinged with 

 lilac, and profusely 

 spotted with lilac- 

 rose ; lip triangular- 

 rhomboid ; lateral 

 lobes small, middle 



lobe large, flat, the sides deflexed, pale lilac, with a 

 stain of deep rose along the centre, furnished with 

 two small incurved teeth at the base, the intervening 

 tubercle bifid ; spur incurved, yellowish-green, June 

 and July, Bombay, 



A. stcavissimum. — A species of which many beau- 

 tiful varieties exist, the most noteworthy being 

 pallidum and maculatum, from Malacca, and auran- 

 tiacum, from Borneo. In the tj^ical plant the 

 leaves are flaccid, nine to ten inches long, light 

 green, profusely dotted with brown near the sheath- 

 ing base ; racemes horizontal, oblong, many-flowered, 

 sometimes branched, loose ; flowers very fragrant ; 



Aerides odoratum, 



sepals and petals oval, obtuse, very much spreading, 

 white or bluish, tipped with rose ; lip three-lobed, 

 pressed to the column ; lateral lobes oblong, slightly 

 toothed ; middle lobe dwarf, linear, bifid, not at all 

 serrated, pale lemon- colour ; spur pale yeUow, tipped 

 with red. July to September. Malacca, 



A. Thibautianum. — When first this beautiful 

 species flowered, it passed under the name of A. 



Huttoni, and was 

 afterwards figured as 

 Saccolabiiim Suttoni ; 

 upon better acquaint- 

 ance, however, it was 

 found to be a species 

 already named and 

 described. It much 

 resembles A. quin- 

 quevulnerum in habit 

 of growth ; leaves six 

 to eight inches long, 

 unequally two-lobed 

 at the^ apex, and full 

 deep green ; racemes 

 pendulous, slender, 

 longer than the 

 leaves, and many- 

 flowered; flowers 

 large, erect, very 

 fragrant, and soft 

 deep amethyst in 

 colour. August and 

 September. Java, 



A. virens. — There 

 are many varieties 

 of this fine species, 

 and all are beautiful ; 

 amongst them may 

 be noticed Dayii, 

 Mlisii, grandijlorum, 

 superbum, and quin- 

 quevulnerum. The 

 tj'pical plant has 

 broad oblique leaves, 

 lobed at the apex, eight to ten inches long, and very 

 bright green ; racemes longer than the leaves, droop- 

 ing, many-flowered ; flowers very fragrant ; sepals 

 and petals ovate, obtuse, soft, white, stained with 

 rosy-purple at the points ; lip three-lobed ; side lobes 

 white, dotted with crimson; middle lobe broad, 

 crimson, April to J uly, Java, 



A. Warnerii belongs to the crispitm section, 

 but is a thoroughly distinct-looking plant. The 

 stem is slender and the short coriaceous leaves are 

 ascending and dark green, almost black towards the 

 base, where they clasp the stem ; racemes erect, 

 twice as long as the leaves ; flowers large and f ra- 



