FLORICULTURAL NOTICES. 
93 
leopard in the Zoological Gardens had shortened the vertebree of its neck till it was no longer 
than a cow's, or that a kangaroo had exchanged its tail for the switch of a Shetland pony, a more 
surprising thing would not be announced than those changes with which we are now familiar in 
this group of Orchidacese." " Influenced by these considerations," adds Dr. Lindley, " 1 have 
till lately refrained from saying anything about the plant now figured. It has in some respects 
so much the appearance of C. maculaium, that when I first received it from Mr. Veitch, of 
Exeter, in March, 1842, I hesitated whether to regard it as a variety or a distinct species. A 
plant, however, obtained from Brazil direct by Messrs. Loddiges, has given me courage to regard 
it as the latter. It has a short raceme of much larger greenish -yellow flowers, with broad 
chocolate-brown blotches, and its lip is quite remarkable, having five finger-like lobes, and no 
more, instead of the lateral comb-like fringes of C. maculaium." Bot. Reg. 22. 
Gastrochi'lus longiflo'ra. "An equally rare, though less showy species than G. pulcherri- 
ma, requiring the same treatment, and flowering about the same time, July and August. It is 
likewise a native of Rangoon ; and also of Martaban, in the East Indies, and is one of the many 
treasures, for the possession of which the Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew are indebted to Dr. 
Wallich. This gentleman, in his description, observes that the present species 'has the habit of 
Kcempferia. Its flowers are smaller than those of G. pulcherrima, from which it differs abundantly 
in being stemless, and having long petioled, cordate leaves, radical spikes, and flowers with very 
long tubes.' " The blossoms are on short peduncles, pale-yellowish, tipped and tinged with red. 
Bot. Mag. 4010. 
Passiflo'ra acti'nia. Sir. W. J. Hooker remarks of the present species, that he " can no 
where find the description of any Passion-flower, which accords with this, and which was sent 
last year from the Organ Mountains of Brazil to Mr. Veitch of Exeter, by his collector, Mr. Lobb. 
It produced its handsome and highly fragrant blossoms, first in November, 1842, and again, more 
profusely, in February of the present year ; on both of which occasions, the plant was exhibited at 
the meetings of the Horticultural Society, where it could not fail to be much admired. The name, 
as will be at once seen, is suggested by the resemblance of the flower to those marine animals, so 
common upon our rocky coasts, known by the name of Sea Anemone (J cti7iia). The plant 
deserves a place in evei-y stove." It is a climbing species, with ovate emarginate leaves, whitish 
petals to the flowers, and a nectary which is beautifully banded with red, blue, and white. Bot. 
Mag. 4009. 
Periste'ria humbo'ldti, "For this noble plant, which has a pendulous raceme a couple of 
feet long, we are indebted to John Wilmore Esq., of Oldford, near Birmingham, who imported it 
from Porto CabuUo, in the province of Venezuela, about three years since. It flowered for the 
first time in March, 1842, and in April was exhibited to the Horticultural Society, wher it was 
distinguished by a silver medal. In many respects it has the habit of Peristeria Barkeri, but the 
leaves have longer footstalks. When the genus Peristeria was founded, nobody suspected that 
the long- sought Anguloa super ba of Humboldt could belong to it ; still less did we imagine, when 
this noble specimen was sent from Birmingham, that it could be the very same. Nevertheless, 
upon attentively considering Humboldt's figure, no doubt can be entertained of the fact ; or that 
Anguloa superba is nothing more than this Peristeria, with the raceme made to grow erect 
instead of pendulous. The plant of that great traveller is described as an inhabitant of trees in 
the temperate parts of the province of Tumbez, near Zaruma, in Peru, and a village called 
Catacocha ; it was also found cultivated in the gardens of Loxa, at an elevation of between 6000 and 
7000 feet above the sea. Its Spanish name is said to be Periquito." The flowers are large, 
variously coloured and spotted, but a rich chocolate seems to be the principal hue. Bot. Reg. 18. 
Plero^ma benthamia'na. This fine species of Pleroma, which Mr. Gardner has dedicated to 
his "excellent friend, G. Bentham, Esq., is certainly the most beautiful of the genus which has 
yet flowered in this country. The plant, which was brought home by myself from the Organ 
Mountains, flowered in the autumn of 1842, in the Glasgow Botanic Garden, and, unlike many of 
its congeners, it is of very tardy growth, flowering freely at from a foot and a half to two feet 
high, — a circumstance which, along with the rich colour of the flower, cannot fail to render it 
popular among cultivators. In its native country it grows abundantly in rather boggy soil, at an 
elevation of upwards of 3000 feet above the sea level. From its hairy stamens, this plant would 
be referred to the genus Lasiandra., were it not that Mr. Bentham has satisfactorily shown, that 
Pkroma and Lasiandra are not generically distinct ; and Pleroma being the older name, it must be 
