193 
PHAIUS WALLICHII. 
(dr. WALLICh's PHAIUS.) 
CLASS. ORDKH. 
GYNANDRIA. MONANDRIA. 
NATURAL OlinEa. 
ORCIIIDACE^. 
Generic Character. — Vide vol. v. p. 125. 
Specific Character. — Plant stemless. Leaves oblong-lanceolate, acute, very long. Sepals petals 
lanceolate. Lahellum cucullate, entire, very acuminate, with a curled margin ; spur curved, 
emarginate. Bracts acuminate. 
The remarkable habits of most orchidaceous plants naturally render them of 
very humble stature, and, indeed, preclude the possibility of their ever attaining 
any considerable height. Nevertheless, there is a division of them, which, attaching 
themselves to the ground, and striking their roots into the soil, have very properly 
been termed terrestrial. Among these some are found which grow three, four, or 
even six feet high, though this must be understood as referring solely to their 
flower-stems or foliage. 
PJiaius Wallichii is a plant of extremely vigorous habits, as its stems, and even 
its leaves, sometimes reach the height of four feet. A glance at the flower-spike 
exhibited in our drawing will at once show its extraordinary luxuriance, and, by 
comparing that with the very reduced engraving of the entire plant, given in the 
ensuing page, a faithful idea of its character may be obtained. 
This handsome species had not, we believe, been cultivated in British collections, 
till it was imported to Chatsworth by His Grace the Duke of Devonshire, in 1837. 
It was met with by Mr. Gibson on the Khoseea range of hills, where it luxuriates 
beneath a densely umbrageous covering of trees, on such portions of rock as are 
partially covered with vegetable soil. Those crevices and fissures in which leaves 
or moss have fallen and decayed, afford a locality and soil especially preferred by 
this plant, and in such situations it arrives at its greatest perfection. 
Since its reception at Chatsworth, it has flowered very abundantly, and in the 
manner here represented. The individual subject of our figure blossomed in May 
VOL. VI. NO. LXIX. C C 
