^5 THK ORCHI 



SCUTICARIA STEELEI. 



THIS plant was introduced from 

 Demerara in 1836 by Mr. Matthew 

 Steele, by whom it was presented to 

 Mr. Moss, of Otterspool, near Liverpool, in 

 whose garden it flowered for the first time m 

 this country in the following year. 



Many plants considerably unlike in appear- 

 ance were at one time classed as MaxiUarias, 

 and it was not until Lindley, in 1843, made a 

 revision of the genus that anything approach- 

 ing order was obtained. This renowned 

 Orchidologist stated:--" In 1833 the number 

 of species was inconsiderable, and consisted 

 of plants extremely different m appearance, 

 as well as structure, but connected by the 

 common character of a pair of simple or 

 two-lobed pollen-masses, having a distinct 

 gland with a single caudicula, and belonging 

 to a flower whose lateral sepals, oblique at 

 their base, were adherent to the lengthened 

 foot of the column. In fact Maxillana, among 

 Vandeas, answered in many respects to 

 Dendrobium among Malaxea?. 



" But experience has shown that such a 

 character as this brings into association plants 

 of very different appearance, that it includes 

 many other characters, of as much importance 

 as itself, and brings together a group of 

 species inconveniently large for systematical 

 purposes. .Such being the case it has now 

 become desirable to reconsider the distinctive 

 marks of Maxillana, to see how far they are 

 capable of sub-division." 



Lindley then defined the true MaxiUarias, 

 species with radical inflorescence, and a 

 pseudo-bulbous growth, and added: — "As 

 for Maxillaria Steelei, with its long thonged 

 leaves and deficient pseudo-bulbs, it has 

 nothing of the aspect of a Maxillaria, and 

 having a pair of double pollen-masses sitting 

 on a gland tapering to each end with the 

 form of a gliding serpent, it may be 

 advantageously struck off^ under the name 

 Scuticaria." 



The stems are as thick as an ordinary 

 writing pencil, 1-2 inches long, invested with 

 greyish, lacerated, membraneous sheaths. 

 Leaves quite pendulous, tapering towards the 



) WORLD. [November, 1914. 



apex, 1-4 feet long. Peduncles one to three 

 flowered. Flowers nearly 3 inches m 

 diameter, light yellow spotted with red-brown, 

 the fleshy crest of the lip orange-yellow. 



ANCISTROCHILUS 

 THOMSONIANUS. 



THIS pretty little Orchid, at one time 

 very rarely seen in cultivation, and 

 even now none too often, was 

 originally discovered by Kalbreyer when 

 collecting Orchids in West Tropical Africa 

 for Messrs. Veitch and Sons. It was described 

 by Reichenbach in 1879 under the name 

 Pachystoma Thomsoniana, being dedicated, 

 at the discoverer's request, to " the late Rev. 

 George Thomson, who was unusually kind- 

 hearted in his English reception of the 

 German traveller." All previously recorded 

 species were of Asiatic origin, hence this one 

 was of more than ordinary interest. Sir 

 Joseph Hooker, however, much doubted 

 whether it really belonged to Pachystoma, 

 although he was unable to find a more 

 suitable genus in which to place it. Subse- 

 quently, Mr. Rolfe created a new genus for 

 its reception, under the name Ancistrochilus, 

 in allusion to the hook-like lobe of the lip. 



It is a native of the mountains of Old 

 Calabar, in West Africa, and consequently 

 inhabits one of the hottest parts of the globe. 

 For its successful cultivation a constantly 

 warm and moist atmosphere must be 

 provided, such as is obtained in the 

 Phalaenopsis house. Suitable provision should 

 be made for its sub-terrestrial, creeping 

 habit, such as a shallow pan or teak basket 

 that can be conveniently suspended near the 

 roof-glass of the house. The sepals and 

 petals are white, the lip traversed by five 

 raised longitudinal purple lines. It is, as Sir 

 Joseph Hooker once remarked, " a very 

 lovely species ; its graceful form and the 

 purity and brilliancy of its white, and the 

 vividness of its purple, render it one of the 

 most beautiful Orchids of its type and habit, 

 which remind one a good deal of some 

 Pleiones." 



