BARKERIA LINDLEYANA. 
(Dr. Lindley's Bai'keria.) 
Class. Order. 
GYNANDRIA. MONANDRIA. 
Natural Order. 
ORCHIDACE,E. 
Generic Character — Sepals and petals equal, free, 
membranaceous, very spreading. Labellum smooth, 
entire, naked, cuneate and pointed, pressed close to the 
column. Column petal-shaped. Anthers four-celled, 
fleshy. Pollen-masses four, with as many ligulate 
reflexed caudiculae, connate in pairs. 
Specific Character. — Plant an epiphyte. Leaves 
oval, acute. Bracts linear, much shorter than the 
peduncle. Labellum exactly oblong, apiculate, bicari- 
nate, with the keel placed near the apex of the lip. 
Column clavate, winged, immaculate ; apex three- 
toothed — Bot Reg. 
An idea of the estimation in which this plant is held will be formed when it is 
stated that it was deemed a worthy subject, one of forty, to occupy a page in Mr. 
Bateman's work on the Orchidaceous tribe. Unlike some of its associates 
portrayed in that noble volume, such as Ly caste Skinneri, &c, it is not free to 
grow and furnish the means of increase, therefore is still, comparatively, quite a 
rare plant. It is a native of Costa Rica, where it was found by Mr. Skinner, and 
sent to Mr. Bateman, with whom it first flowered in the country in 1841. The 
latter gentleman named it in compliment to Dr. Lindley, who, in the " Bot. Reg." 
for ] 842, writing of its botanical peculiarities, says : — " This beautiful plant has 
exactly the appearance of Epidendrimi Skinneri, with which at first sight it would 
perhaps be confounded. It appears, however, to be a Barkeria, as far as that genus 
has any character to separate it from Epidendrum ; that is to say, it has the winged 
column, and the labellum with a thin membranous border down far below the head 
of the column. It is however to be observed, that in the original Barkeria the 
labellum was free and sessile, while in the present species it has a distinct unguis 
connate with the base of the column." 
When not in flower, like numbers of the Orchid family, it is an insignificant 
looking thing. Its stem-like pseudo-bulbs bear a good many leaves, but are not 
generally more than six or eight inches high ; from their summit, when in a young 
vol. xiit. — no. cliii. c c 
