12 



PAXTON'S FLOWER GARDEN. 



The accompanying plate is witness of the extraordinary beauty that belongs to it. The 

 colour of the flowers is of a rich tender lilac, their texture is as delicate as that of Phaleenopsis, 

 and their dimensions are at least equal to what was stated in the preceding' paragraph. In 

 short, the species is a dangerous rival of the Phalsenopsis itself. 



Its exact residence is now known. Mr. Griffith tells us that it occurs near the River 

 Borpanee on trees of Gordonia, in the Pine and Oak forests of that region.* It is, how- 

 ever, not a little remarkable that his journal contains no allusion to it ; but we find that the 

 district produces Bauhinias, Randia, Phyllantlius jEmblica, and Sugar Canes, all indications of 

 a tropical region. The woods are described as delightful, reminding one of England. The 

 elevation of the Borpanee above the sea is 2,508 feet ; the temperature is 74° ; the neighbour- 

 ing vegetation Castanea (tropical species of course), Kydia, Camellia oleifera, Rhododendron 

 23unctaUim (whatever that may be), and Cuseuta. 



The honour of having introduced this glorious plant belongs to Messrs. Veitch, who 

 received it from their invaluable traveller, Mr. Thomas Lobb. The accompanying figure does 

 scanty justice to it ; for although it represents faithfully the beautiful tender blue of the 

 flowers, it by no means equals the magnitude of the wild plant. We have a dried specimen 

 now before us with nine flowers open at the same time. 



* We transcribe his note upon tire plant, as published in his Itinerary, the blunders of the editor and transcriber being 

 corrected. " Caule altiusculo interdum 2-pedal. ; folliis distichis loriformibus, canaliculatis, apice profunde et insequaliter 

 emarginatis, quam maxime coriaceis. Racemis axillaribus folia longe excedent., flexuosis, supra bracteis adpressis livido 

 maculat. ; bract, norum membranaceis refiexis fuscescent. ; floribus resupinatis maximis, diametro2Jr uncial., pulcherrimis 

 coerulescentibus saturatiore colore tessellatis ; labelli lobis lateral., albis, columnaque alba. Perianth, patentiss. lacin, 

 obovat. ; sepalis undulatis uti petala ; petalis sepaloque postico paulo minoribus ; labelli trilobi lobis lateral, dentiformibus, 

 medio emarginato, apice bicalloso tricarinato, calcare brevi recto. Color coeruleo-purp. Columna albida, nana, basi ad 

 junctionem labell. macula lutea. Anth. simplex. Pollinia 2 complanat. postice fissa; caudicula lata ; glandida maxima 

 trigona. 3 ' 5 



