﻿THE ORCHID REVIEW. 



[September, 1904. 



BULBOPHYLLUM VIRESCENS. 



This is a remarkable Malayan Bulbophyllum which was described by Mr. 

 J. J. Smith, of the Buitenzorg Botanic Garden, about four years ago 

 {Bull. Inst. Bot. Buitenz., vii., p. 3), and afterwards figured (Ic. Bogor., ii., 

 p. 99, t. 119, fig. A). It is said to be a native of Amboina, and was col- 

 lected on Mt. Tuna, at 800 metres altitude, by Mr. Smith. It is interest- 

 ing to note that a Bulbophyllum, which was imported several years ago by 

 Messrs. Low and Co., from some locality near to New Guinea, and 

 which has since grown vigorously and freely, has now bloomed 

 in the establishment, and proves to be identical. A dried specimen, 

 which was collected in Java by Lobb many years ago (n. 126 of his 

 collection), and doubtfully referred to B. Pahudii, Rchb. f., is 

 also apparently the same species. Messrs. Low thought their plant 

 would prove to be B. Ericssoni, Kranzl., until it bloomed, but it 

 proves to have quite unspotted sepals and other differences, while both 

 leaves and pseudo-bulbs are larger. The pseudobulb sent to Kew is linear- 

 oblong in shape, compressed, and 5^ inches long by eight lines broad ; and 

 the leaf is elliptical-ovate, acute, and eight inches long by 3! inches broad, 

 with a petiole ii inches long. Messrs. Low describe the scape as erect, 

 about nine inches high, bearing at the summit an umbel of nine somewhat 

 pendulous flowers. The flower sent is very large, the dorsal sepal measur- 

 ing six and the lateral eight lines broad at the base, then gradually tapering 

 upwards into slender tails, the total length of the dorsal sepal being 3f and 

 of the lateral over 4^ inches. The petals are similar in shape but attain a 

 length of scarcely inches. The colour may be described as very pale 

 green with darker green veins. The lip is five lines broad at the base, very 

 fleshy, then recurved and attenuate to an acute point. The face is purple 

 to beyond the middle, then bright yellow, and the base of the column foot 

 is also bright purple. The column is very broad, two lines long, and the 

 teeth short, slender, and slightly curved. At the junction of the column 

 with its foot is an auriculate fleshy body on either side, and an additional 

 small rounded tubercle at the base of the column teeth. The Javan example 

 is very similar, but has a rather shorter scape of ten flowers, and a rather 

 broader leaf. It is a remarkable species, and the only two near allies are 

 B. Pahudii, Rchb. f., a native of Java, of which a good figure is given in 

 Flore des Serves (t. 2268), and B. Ericssoni, Kranzl, which has also been 

 figured {Gard. Chron., 1897, i. p. 61, fig. 16). The latter has been not 

 inaptly compared with a Chimeroid Masdevallia, and the dark purple 

 blotches on the sepals increase the resemblance. B. Pahudii has rather 

 smaller flowers of similar shape, and more purple in colour. Whether it is 

 now in cultivation is uncertain. R. A. Rolfe. 



