BOTANICAL NOTICES OF NEW PLANTS. 



95 



It is a native of the Cape of Good Hope, is perfectly hardy, and increases 

 abundantly by the root. Mr. Herbert having failed to flower the plant (as had 

 those also to whom he had furnished part of the increase), says, " At the end of 

 the last autumn (1830), it occurred to me to have dung laid on the patches 

 which were growing in the garden soil, and the result has been the production 

 of a flower stem this summer. I doubt not that manure is the requisite to make 

 it flower freely." The spike of flowers continues about a month. Bot. Reg. 



This plant being hardy, will be a valuable addition to the ornamental flower 

 garden. 



COMMELINEjE. Brown. 



Commelina orchioides. Booth. Orchis-like Commelina. Bot. Reg. N. S. p. 

 53. This plant was raised from roots sent to Sir Charles Lemon, Bart., M.P., 

 in the year 1838, by Mr. John Rule, the zealous and active superintendent of 

 the Real Del Monte Mines in Mexico, and it flowered in the stove at Carclew 

 in May last. Its flowers are not showy, but it is an interesting plant to bota- 

 nists. Bot. Reg. 



ASPHODELEiE. Juss. 



Ornithogalum geminiflorum. Herb. Twin-flowered Bethlehem Star. Bot. 

 Reg. N. S. p. 56. This is a small white-flowered species, resembling O. chloro- 

 leucum, from which it differs in the flowers being in pairs, and opening one 

 before the other, instead of growing singly. Bot. Reg. 



ORCHIDACEiE. Lindi. 

 TRIBE MALAXIDEiE. § DENDROBIEiE. Lindl. 



Dendrobium formosum. Wall. Beautiful Dendrobium. Bot. Reg. N. S. p. 

 49. This is a noble species, with large ivory-white flowers, which are unrivalled 

 for beauty. It was imported by His Grace the Duke of Devonshire, and col- 

 lected in the East Indies by Mr. Gibson, his Grace's collector. The flowers 

 grow at the end of a leafy stem, and are between three and four inches in 

 expansion, with every part of the most pure and transparent white, except one 

 delicate lozenge-shaped buff-coloured blotch in the centre of the lip. Dendro- 

 bium formosum must stand amongst the foremost of the Orchidacese in point of 

 beauty. Bot. Reg. 



Dendrobium Stuposum. Lindl. Towy Dendrobium. Bot. Reg. N. S. p. 52. 

 This is another species imported by his Grace the Duke of Devonshire, and also 

 in the collection of Messrs. Loddiges. It is an erect-growing species, with the 

 habit and appearance of D. candidum. The flowers are of the same white colour, 

 and but little smaller ; the labellum, however, has a dark orange callus below its 

 point, which is thickly covered with coarse tow-like hairiness. Bot. Reg. 



EPIDENDREiE. Lindl. 



Epidendrum ionosmum. Lindl. Violet-scented Epidendrum. Bot. Reg. N. 

 S. p. 49- " The western world," says Dr. Lindley, " wants no violets where this 



