78 



MYANTHUS BARBATUS. 



where it was found growing in the clefts of trees by Mr. John Henchman, of the 

 Clapton Nursery. It resembles (as regards the white labellum) the variety 

 published by Sir W. Hooker, in the Bot. Mag. tab. 3514 ; imported also from 

 Demerara, but differs from it in the total absence of spots. 



Our drawing (which was exquisitely finished) was made from a plant in the 

 collection of John Willmore, Esq., of Oldford. 



The close affinity existing between Catasetum, Myanthus, and Monachanthus 

 has been noticed long ago by Dr. Lindley and Sir W. Hooker ; the latter gentle- 

 man, indeed, is of opinion {Bot. Mag. 3514) that Myanthus barbatus and Catasetum 

 cristatum cannot be separated generically, and thinks that Myanthus should only 

 form a section of Catasetum. The correctness of this opinion has been recently 

 verified by the remarkable and astounding fact, that flowers of Catasetum, Mona- 

 chanthus, and Myanthus have been seen growing upon the same scape ! When 

 this fact was announced some months ago by Mr. Schomburgh, of Demerara, it 

 was received by the. cultivators of Orchidaceous plants with strong doubts of 

 its accuracy ; but a plant of Myanthus cristatus that flowered in November last, 

 in the collection of his Grace the Duke of Devonshire, has been figured by Dr. 

 Lindley in the Bot. Reg. tab. 1951, in which flowers of Myanthus, Monachanthus, 

 and Catasetum, are present upon the same plant. The matter being thus placed 

 beyond all doubt, the genera Myanthus and Monachanthus must consequently 

 merge in Catasetum. Dr. Lindley is, indeed, disposed to think that Mormodes 

 (tab. 34, of our last number) will ultimately share the same fate ; this, however, 

 remains to be proved. 



The sportive freaks manifested by orchidaceous plants are now pretty generally 

 known among botanists ; but Dr. Lindley appears to have been the first who 

 ever noticed these extraordinary metamorphoses : he has a note upon the subject, 

 under Catasetum cristatum in Bot. Reg. vol. 12. 



Fig. 1, column and labellum; 2, anther magnified; 3, anterior view of the 

 pollinia, caudicula, and gland, magnified ; 4, posterior view of the same. 



