AERIDES BROOKII. 
<Sir William Brooks's Air-plant.) 
Class. Order. 
GYNANDRIA. MONANDRIA. 
Natilral Order. 
ORCHID ACEiE. 
Generic Character. — Perianth spreading or closed. 
Sepals lateral, often oblique at the base, having a claw 
connate with the column. Labellum with a claw 
jointed to the column, saccate or spurred, three lobed ; 
lateral lobes short ; middle one cucullate or awl-shaped, 
or shortly tumid, or partially arched. Column reclining 
on the ovary, short, winged. ' Anthers two-celled. 
Pollen-masses two, furrowed at the back ; caudicula 
broad or filiform ; gland peltate, subrotund. 
Specific Character. — Plant epiphytal, with long 
tortuous stems. Leaves distichous, obliquely obtuse. 
Racemes nodding, many-flowered, very much longer 
than the leaves, branching occasionally. Sepals ovate, 
slightly acute, folding back at the edges. Petals ellip- 
tical, also slightly acute, much broader than the sepals, 
with a light tinge of purple in the centre. Lip largest ; 
lateral lobes short, oblong, erect, blunt, streaked with 
pale purple ; middle lobe larger, obsoletely three- 
lobed, ovate, emarginate, with the edges irregularly 
jagged, and turned backwards, white at the base, which 
gradually passes into a rich bright purple ; spur curving 
upwards under the lip, with a greenish horn. 
Through the extreme courtesy of C. Horsfall, Esq., of Liverpool, we have 
been favoured with a beautiful drawing and specimens of this lovely Orchidaceous 
plant, which was imported by that gentleman some time since from the East 
Indies, and flowered superbly in his valuable collection during the month of 
May last. 
The species is one of the most peculiar and handsome which has yet been 
introduced. Of vigorous habits, it produces a long and tortuous stem, with 
luxuriant leaves, on which there are singular patches of a decidedly glaucous 
nature. The raceme of flowers issues from near the top of the stem, and is from 
a foot to eighteen inches long, drooping, and bearing several side branches. Of 
these last, that shown in our coloured figure is one ; and being of the correct size, 
an idea may be formed from it of the dimensions of the entire raceme. In 
Mr. HorsfalPs stove, the plant is growing on a small palm-tree, which adds 
greatly to its interest. Our woodcut represents the whole specimen. 
The sketches at the left hand corner of our plate present tracings of the 
structure of the flowers. That to the extreme left exhibits a front view of the 
lip ; while the other gives a side glance of its base, including the column and 
spur. The column may be compared to the head and beak of a bird ; and the 
VOL. ix. — no. ciii. u 
