50 
EPIDENDRUM nutans. 
Drooping-flowered Epidendrum. 
GYNANDRIA MONANDRIA._Nat. Ord. ORCHIDS^. 
Div. Anth. terminalis mohilis decidua. Massae poUinis demum cereaceas. 
Gen. Char. — Columna cum ungue labelli longitudinaliter connata in tubum 
(quandoque decurrentem ovarium). Massce poUinis 4, parallelae, septis 
completis persistentibus distinctae, basi filo granulate elastico auctae.-— 
Br. 
Epidendrum nutans; caule simplici, foliis ovato-lanceolatis amplexi- 
caulibus ; floribus subspicatis nutantibus, lamina labelli triloba, lobo 
intermedio tridentato. — Sw. 
Epidendrum nutans, Swartz, Fl. Ind. Occ. p. 1499 — ^Willd. Sp. PL p. 117. 
— Hort. Kew. ed. 2. v. 5. p, 209.— Bot. Beg. t. 17. 
Boot, according to Swartz, of several thick, filiform, long, white fibres. 
Stem from l^to 2 feet high, about the thickness of one's little finger, erect, 
or horizontal when growing from the trunks of trees, simple, nearly 
cylindrical, yellowish-green, almost formed by the sheathing bases of the 
leaves. Leaves oblongo-lanceolate, thick, fleshy, dark green, distichous, 
scarcely striated, rather acute, sheathing and amplexicaul at the base. 
Spike of jhwers large, handsome, terminal, from 6 to 8 inches long, some- 
times branched, the branches divaricated, flexuose. There are 3 or 4 
large marcescent bractece towards the base of the common flower-stalk, 
and smaller ones at the base of each flower, which, however, soon fall 
away. The color of the flowers is one, almost entirely uniform, pale 
yellow-green, the column and the labellum only being of a more yellow 
or lemon colour. 
Segments of the Perianth spreading, soon reflexed, the 3 outer ones oblongo- 
spathulate, uniform ; the 2 inner or lateral ones almost linear, obtuse. 
Labellum firmly united with the under side of the column, the lamina 
only being free ; this is rather large, horizontally deflexed, 3-lobed, the 
two lateral lobes the largest, rovmded, the intermediate three, toothed; the 
two lateral teeth large and spreading, the intermediate very minute. At 
the base of the lamina of the labellum are two white fleshy calli, and pro- 
ceeding from them 3 elevated lines, running down the centre. Column 
shorter than the segments of the perianth, standing out nearly horizon- 
tally, clavatc, 2-lobed at the extremity, with a sinus at the top for the 
VOL. I. 
