NAT. ORDER. 
Orchidece. 
BROUGHTONIA COCCINEA. CRIMSON BROUGHTONIA. 
Class XX. Gynandria. Order I. Monandria. 
Gen. Char. Calyx consists of three sepals. Petals spreading. 
Peduncle one, erect, and nodding. 
Spe. Char. Anther-case small. Column short, whitish. 
The hdbs of this root are very much clustered, roundish-ovate, 
often richly stained with brown, compressed, and bearing from the 
apex one or two leaves, which are linear-oblong, three to four inches 
high, and somewhat coriaceous ; the peduncles also arise from the 
same place, eight to ten inches or more high, jointed and bracteated^ 
and bearing a raceme of six to nine Jiowers at the summit, which 
are of a very rich crimson color ; the calyx consists of three sepals ; 
they are spreading, equal, equidistant, lanceolate ; petah spreading, 
two lateral ones broadly ovate, acute, and slightly crisped ; the lower 
one, or labellam, rotundate-cordate, obscurely two-lobed, waved, and 
delicately crenate at the margin ; the base beneath running down 
into a very long adnate spur upon the scarlet germen ; the column is 
quite short and whitish ; the anther-case is extremely small and 
hemispherical ; polen-masses, two compressed pairs, with the caudi- 
cles folded down upon them. 
This is undoubtedly one of the most rare plants in our country ; 
consequently is but little known, even by the most experienced 
botanists. Its beauty and elegance when in blossom is very attrac- 
tive, and is to be reckoned as one of the most splendid in that family 
of plants. Its medical properties have never been examined. 
Vol. iv.— 103 
