?7 



GOVENIA LILIACEA. 



(Lily-flowered Govenia.} 

 LINNEAN SYSTEM. NATURAL ORDER, 



GYNANDRIA MONANDRIA. ORCHIDACE.E, § VANDE^E. (Lindl.) 



GENERIC CHARACTER. 



Govenia (Lin.) Perianthium bilabiatum. Sepala lateralia falcata, labello supposita, basi 

 paululum connata, supremo paulo majora. Petala sub sepalo supremo couniventia, breviora, 

 obliqua. Labellum integerrimum, ecalcaratum, concavum, cum basi parum producta. columnar 

 articulatum, sessile. Columna basi paulo producta, teres, subfusiformis, apico utrinque marginata. 

 Anthera calyptriformis, 1-locularis. Pollinia 4, solida, incumbentia, caudicula brevi, glandula 

 minore triangulari. Terrestres. Folia plicata ; spicce radicales, multiflorae. Flores speciosi. 

 Lindl. Gen. et Spec. Orchid.. 153. 



Perianth 2-lipped. Lateral sepals sickle-shaped, placed beneath the labellum, a little connate 

 at the base, rather larger than the upper one. Petals connivent under the upper sepal, shorter, 

 oblique. Lip very entire, spurless, concave, articulated With the slightly-lengthened base of the 

 column, sessile. Column a little lengthened at the base, terete, somewhat spindle-shaped, with 

 a margin on each side of the apex. Anther extinguisher-shaped, 1-celled. Pollen-masses, 4; 

 solid, incumbent, with a short caudicula, smaller than the triangular gland. Terrestrial plants. 

 Leaves folded ; spikes radical, many-flowered. Flowers handsome. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 

 G. liliacea ; labello ovato basi ima. cucullato ; spied oblonga ; scapo univaginato ; bracteis 

 oblongis cucullatis ; foliis obovato-lanceolatis plicatis radicalibus scapo brevioribus ; radice 

 tuberosa. (Lindl.) 



Labellum ovate, hooded at the base ; spike oblong ; scape 1-sheathed • bracteas oblong, hooded ; 

 leaves obovate-lanceolate, plaited, radical, shorter than the scape ; root tuberous. 

 Govenia Liliacea.— Lindl. Bot. Reg., New Ser., p. 13. 

 Maxillaria Liliacea. La Llave et Lex. Nov. Veg. Descr. 12. 



Descr. — Plant terrestrial, with a subglobose, solid, tuberous root. Leaves two, radical, broadly 

 lanceolate, plaited, 3-nerved, gradually narrowed towards the base, and terminating by an 

 apparent articulation in a hollow cylindrical purplish stem, from 10 to 12 inches long, through 

 which emerges the second leaf, the cylindrical stem of which is closely embraced by the first : 

 these are invested by three or four dark purple entire sheaths, which also include the scape. 

 Scape erect, cylindrical, from one and a half to two and a half feet high, emerging directly from 

 the tuber. Flowers arranged in a loose thyrsus-like spike, white, the petals delicately streaked 

 with pale purple. Bracteas oblong, lanceolate, hooded, one of which is placed at the base of 

 each pedicel. Labellum keeled, ascending, parallel with the column, slightly spotted ■ with 



