34 
CYPRIPEDIUM INSIGNE. 
Large-flowered Ladys-slipper. 
GYNANDRIA DIANDRIA Nat. Ord. ORCHIDEM. 
Gen. Char. — Lahcllum ventricosum, inflatum (nunc saccatum). Cdumna 
postice terminata lobo petaloideo (stamine sterili) antheras distinguente. 
Pctala duo antica, saepe connata. — Br. in Hort. Kew. 
Cypripedium insigne ; acaule, foliis cartilagineis ligulatis scapo piloso 
dimidio brevioribus, perianthii lacinia superiore fornicata emargina- 
ta, lateribus obovatis subundulatis obtusis extus pubescentibus, mfe- 
riore labello venoso basi inflexo paulo longiore. — Lindl. 
C. insigne, Wallich, Lindley, Coll. Bot. t. 32. 
Stem none. Leaves few, distichous, sheathing and equitant at the base, the 
rest linear, carinated, quite glabrous, of an uniform yellow-green hue, 
paler at the base. 
Scape cylindrical, pubescent, purplish, curved at the extremity. Bractea or 
spatha ovate, keeled and compressed, marked with lines, glabrous, green, 
purple at the base. 
Fhrver very large, showy, solitary, drooping, nearly 3 inches in length. The 
2 outer segments of the perianth or corolla pale green ; the upper one 
broadly ovate, concave, waved at the margin, white at the extremity, and 
emarginate, marked with longitudinal lines, and spotted Avith purple, 
having at the base a few purplish hairs, horizontal in its direction, after- 
wards erect, lower one pendent, smaller than the upper one, composed 
of 2 segments, united at their margins, ovate, incurved at the margin 
near the extremity, indistinctly lined and marked with a few small 
purplish spots near the base. The two inner and lateral segments are li- 
near, oblong, broadest at the extremity, 3 inches long, pale green, tinged 
with and marked with lines of brown, scantily dotted near the base, 
where there are a few purple hairs, externally pubescent. Lip large, 
roundish, ovate, pendent, glabrous, much resembling that of C. vemstum 
in figure ; above having the sides singularly inflated, yellow, shining, 
smooth, the mouth open, the upper margin raised into 2 obtuse projec- 
tions, the rim thickened. The colour of the lip is greenish, the front 
tinged with brownish-purple, the whole very obscurely lined and veined. 
Column of fructification short, terminated by a large, obversely cordate, yeU 
low, slightly convex lobe, glandular below, beset with minute red hairs 
above, and having one elevated bright orange tubercle in the centre, 
VOL. I. I 
