THE ORCHID GENERA 



species as Cattleyas, Laelias, Cypripediums, and Odonto- 

 glossums, but there are many genera that are both 

 curious and interesting, and quite as capable of impart- 

 ing pleasure to an educated horticultural taste as those, 

 the value of which may be reckoned by large figures. 

 Among these may be mentioned the Bulbophyllums, 

 a genus of epiphytal Orchids which consists of a very 

 large number of species known to science. Its geo- 

 graphical range is very extensive, probably spreading 

 over a larger area than any other Orchid genus. By 

 far the greater number of Bulbophyllums are East 

 Indian and Malayan, but many are found in Africa and 

 Madagascar, and a few species in Central and South 

 America, and even in Australia and New Zealand. The 

 greater number are of botanical interest only, but some 

 have undoubtedly proved to be objects of marked horti- 

 cultural interest. To describe the genus fully would 

 take up too much space, and would probably prove mono- 

 tonous to many readers, but a few remarks on the most 

 prominent species may be of interest. The peculiar lip 

 of B. barbigerum is one of the most extraordinary organs 

 known among Orchids, the very fine purple threads 

 which form a brush at its point being so delicate that 

 the slightest disturbance of the air sets them in motion. 

 They move to and fro like a tuft of threads cut from 

 a spider's web, the lip itself being articulated with the 

 column by such a very slight joint that to breathe upon 

 the brush is sufficient to produce a rocking movement. 

 B. comosum produces drooping racemes of closely-set 

 small white flowers covered with short hair-like processes, 

 the whole head having a resemblance to a bottle brush. 

 A peculiarity, too, is that the entire plant, including its 

 leaves (especially when drying off) and flowers, has a 

 delicate but strong odour of newly-mown hay. The 

 flower of B. auricomum is, owing to its pleasant fragrance, 

 a great favourite with the Burmese ladies, who decorate 



