ORCHIDS. 



159 



out into long- tails ; ground-colour creamy-white or 

 yellow, pi-ofuseiy blotched and streaked with choco- 

 late, and spotted with purplish-hlack ; lip somewhat 

 lunate, white, the sides rolled over, nearly meeting 

 in front. 



J/. Ch imera.— In. this species we have a combination 

 of the grotesque, the wonderful, and the beautiful ; 

 leaves almost sessile, oblong-lanceolate, acute, cari- 

 nate, six to nine inches high, darlc green on the 

 upper surface, paler below ; scape scarcely so long as 

 the leaves, bent forward in the shape of a swan's 

 neck, one-flowered ; flowers upwards of eight inches 

 across ; sepals obovate, ground-colom^ creamy-yellow, 

 profusely spotted with bright chestnut, and the 

 surface covered with short black hairs, the point 

 of each sepal lengthened out into a long red tail ; 

 lip small, somewhat calceolate, white. Winter months. 

 Mountams of New Grenada. 



M. Davisii. — A very distinct and beautiful species ; 

 leaves supported upon short stems, narrowly oblong- 

 lanceolate, obtuse at the apex, keeled, and deep 

 green ; the scape longer than the leaves ; flowers 

 solitary, large, and rich bright yellow in colour. 

 Summer and autumn months. Peru. 



M. cleplianticejis — This is a robust-growing plant 

 with somewhat spathulate leaves ; scape erect, bear- 

 ing a single large flower upwards of six inches long, 

 the tail-like point of the dorsal sepal being bent over 

 like an elephant's trunk, whilst the two lower ones 

 represent the tusks; the upper sepal is golden- 

 yellow, as also are the tails of the lower sepals, but 

 the basal part of the latter are rich deep purplish- 

 crimson. New Grenada. 



M. Eiitradce. — A small and compact species, and a 

 profuse bloomer ; leaves somewhat spathulate, with, 

 short stem about three inches high; scape much 

 longer than the leaves, supporting a solitary flower 

 some three inches across, white or pale yellow, with a 

 rich blotch of purplish-mauve, or violet ; the slender 

 tails are pale yellow. Spring months. New Grenada. 



M. Karvyana. — :This is an extremely handsome, 

 and a very variable plant ; leaves oblong-obtuse, 

 six to eight inches high ; scajje longer than the 

 leaves, solitary, about four inches in diameter, vary- 

 ing from reddish-purple to deejj crimson, and mauve, 

 and usually stained at the base with yellow. It is 

 almost a perpetual bloomer. The named varieties 

 of this species are numerous ; amongst the best 

 are atrojmrpiirca, atrosmiguinea, brUliantissiina, cceru- 

 lescens, elegans, insignis, pvrpKvca, sangninea, and 

 v'wlacea. New Grenada. 



M. ignea. — Eesembling the preceding in habit, 

 with, bright red flowers, shaded with violet-rose ; 

 the dorsal sepal narrow and bent over the lower 

 ones. There are several varieties. Autumn and 

 winter months. New Grenada. 



2f. lAndenii. — This gorgeously beautiful plant 

 belongs to the same section as the two preceding 

 species, and resembles them in habit, but is more 

 slender; it is a free-growing plant, and a profuse 

 bloomer ; leaves oblong-lanceolate, the flowers re- 

 sembling those of Harry ana, but smaller, and usually 

 brillant violet-rose or magenta, white or pale yellow 

 at the base. Summer months. New Grenada. 



J/, maculata. — Leaves borne on short foot-stalks, 

 narrowly-lanceolate, deep green; flowers rich deep 

 crimson-purple, spotted with rose ; the point of the 

 dorsal sepal is yeUow, the low^er ones green. There 

 are several varieties of this plant ; in some forms the 

 ground-colour is dull yellow. Autumn and winter. 

 Caraccas and Columbia. 



M. mclanopus. — A densely-tufted dwarf-growing 

 species, with obovate-lanceolate leaves, borne upon 

 short stems ; scape longer than the leaves, erect, 

 bearing several flowers, usually five to six ; flowers 

 white, beautifully dotted and freckled with purple ; 

 the tail-like points of the sepals are yeUow. Spring- 

 months. Andes of Peru. 



M. polyslieta. — Similar to the preceding, yet very 

 distinct ; leaves somewhat spathulate, upon short 

 stems, pale green ; scape erect, and many-flowfered : 

 sepals pale mauve or lilac, freckled with purple; 

 dorsal sepal hooded, lower ones becoming narrow, 

 and ultimately tailed, these tail-like points being 

 also freckled. Winter months. Peru. 



M. SJiuttleivo7-thii. — A very dwarf plant, seldom 

 exceeding three or four incbes in height ; leaves 

 shortly-petiolate, somewhat oblong, but narrow at 

 the base, light green ; scape longer than the leaves, 

 bearing a single flower, about six inches across from 

 point to point of the tails; dorsal sepals hooded, 

 lengthened out into a very long greenish tail, 

 reddish at the tip ; lateral sepals also tailed, ovate 

 and spreading, rosy -red, all being freckled and 

 dotted with deep red. Spring months. Columbia. 



31. tovarense. — This beautiful species, sometimes 

 called 31. Candida, is a compact and free-flowering 

 plant; leaves somewhat oblong, inclining to spathu- 

 late, four to six inches long, corieceous, pale green; 

 scape erect, two to four-flowered, but two the most 

 usual number, these being pure snow-white, slightly 

 tailed ; the old scape often produces a double crop of 

 blooms. Winter months. Tovar in Columbia. 



31. Vcitchiamtm. — The colours of the flowers of this 

 species are most difficult to describe. It is a bold 

 and strong-growing plant, with, leaves six or more 

 inches high, narrowly-oblong, coriaceous, and deep 

 green ; scape one-flowered, measuring six inches in 

 diameter ; the sepals are slightly tailed, rich bi-ight 

 orange-scarlet, shaded with violet-purple and yellow. 

 It blooms several times during the season. ^lountaina 

 of Peru. 



