ACINETA BARKERI. 
(Mr. Barter's Acineta.) 
Class. Order. 
GYNANDRIA. MONANDRIA. 
Natural Order. 
ORCHLDACEiE. 
Generic Character.— Perianth fleshy, spreading. 
Sepals concave, joined at the base, hence forming a 
monophyllous calyx. Petals resembling the sepals, but 
rather smaller. Lip very fleshy, continued from the 
elongated base of the column without any articulation 
in the middle, three-lobed. Column erect, with a pro- 
jecting rounded lobe or wing on each side. 
Specific Character. — Pseudo-bulbs very long, broad- 
ly-ovate, deeply furrowed, with the ridges wrinkled, 
of a dark-green colour. Leaves from the summit of the 
pseudo-bulbs, two feet and more long, broadly lanceo- 
late, tapering at each end, membranous, plaited. Scapes 
pendent from the base of the pseudo-bulb, a foot or 
more long,' lax, bearing flowers in a raceme almost to 
the very base, which latter is sheathed with several 
brown scales. Flowers subglobose, of a rather full 
yellow colour, the unexpanded ones tinged with green. 
Sepals and petals very concave, obtuse, nearly equal, 
scarcely spreading. Lip small, articulate upon the 
elongated base of the column, deeply three-lobed ; 
lateral lobes large, erect, embracing the column ; 
middle one much smaller, retuse; within is a large 
gland spotted with red. Column semicylindrical ; its 
wings short ; the back slightly downy. 
Synonyme.— Peristeria Barkeri. 
Two very distinct species of this superb genus were introduced to this country a 
few years ago, one of which has been named A. Humboldti, and the other (our 
present subject) A. Barkeri. The first of these Dr. Lindley has clearly proved to 
be identical with the Anguloa superba of Humboldt, Bonpland, and Kunth ; and in 
1843 he gave a beautiful figure of it in the " Botanical Register," t. 18, under 
the name of Peristeria Humboldti. In 1845 Sir W. Hooker gave, in the "Botanical 
Magazine," t. 4156, a plate of a magnificent variety of that species which he named 
Peristeria Humboldti fulva. The latter gentleman also has given a description 
and a fine plate in the " Botanical Magazine," t. 4203, of our present subject, under 
the name of Peristeria Barkeri. 
On a recent examination of the genus Peristeria by Dr. Lindley, and by carefully 
studying its species, he has discovered that, in one or more particulars, the above 
two species essentially differ from the genus under which they were placed. " The 
type of the genus Peristeria is the ' Dove plant ' of Panama, which has an erect 
scape ; globose, fleshy flowers ; equal and regular sepals, united at the base, but 
projecting forwards with the chin usual in the Maxillaridous section ; a lip continuous 
with the column, fleshy, arrow-headed at the base, distinctly articulated in the 
middle, and having its epichilium undivided and bent down over the face of the 
VOL. XIV. NO. CLXIII. U 
