Another splendid orchideous plant is here represented, 
which is derived from the same fertile source as has afforded so 
many other subjects to this work, namely, the Botanic Garden 
at Liverpool. It was received, during the present year, from 
the Baron de Schack, who detected it in woods in the island 
of Trinidad. 
I know of no individual of this family which has flowers so 
splendid and so curious as the subject of the present plate, ex- 
cept it be an Anguloa, which blossomed in niy garden in Suf- 
folk some years ago, and which I had received from the Bra- 
zils through the favour of Mr Savainson. A drawing of that 
plant is in the possession of my friend Mr Lindley, and I 
have his promise that it shall appear in his excellent Collecta- 
nea Botanica. At first sight, I was disposed to think that 
this might be a species of the same genus, but there are seve- 
ral material points of difference ; and it was impossible to read 
the character given by M. IIichaud, of Catasetum, in the 1st 
volume of the Synopsis Plant. jEquinoct. Orhis novi of 
Humboldt and Kunth, mthout being satisfied that it must 
belong to that genus. The species there given is the Catase- 
tum maculatum of New Grenada, which is essentially charac- 
terised by its ciliated labellum ; a second individual, afterwards 
noticed, is the C. macrocarpum of Richard's MSS. with blos- 
soms of a deep purple colour, and fruit four or five inches long. 
No figures exist of either of these. 
Mr Henry Shepherd informs me, that " on touching 
the extremity of the column with a pin, the anther-case flies 
off with an elastic force *, and takes along with it the pollen- 
mass ; the gland at the base of which is covered with a gluti- 
nous substance, by which it adheres to any thing that it comes 
in contact vsdth." This was precisely the case with the An- 
guloa above mentioned, whose pollen-mass was similarly form- 
ed. On touching the top of the anther with a pin, the pollen- 
mass darted out, and striking forcibly the hand of a bystander, 
adhered to it by the gland with a considerable degree of firm- 
ness. 
Tab. 90. Plant, reduced to one-fourth of the natural size. 
Tab. 91- Analysis of the flowers; Fig. 1. — G. being all of the natural size. 
Fig. 1. Side view of a flower. Fig. 2. Front view of the same. Fig. 3. 
Side view of the lip. Fig. 4. Side view of a column, with the Anther, 
Fig. 5. removed. Fig. 6. Pollen mass. Fig. 7- Inner view of the An- 
ther-case, containing the pollen-mass. Fig. 8. Pollen-mass. Fig. 9- An- 
ther-case, inside view, — magnified. 
* This elastic qualitj'^ perhaps resides in the footstalk of the pollen-mass, whose 
sides, I believe, on their disengagement from the anther-case, suddenly become rolled 
back, as is seen at Fig- 8. 
