I have already alluded to the successful manner in which 
the Messrs Shepherd cultivate the rare, parasitic orchideous 
plants : the present individual is another proof of the correct- 
ness of this opinion. The plant itself was sent to the Liver- 
pool Garden from Calcutta by Dr Wallich in the year 1820, 
and in March 1824, it has produced two beautiful spikes of 
flower. At first sights the inflorescence bears no inconsiderable 
simihtude in general structure to that of Dendrobium, espe- 
cially in the nature of the three external petals, and their union 
at the base into a kind of sack. The lip, however, seems to be 
considerably different, and is decidedly 3-lobed. The position 
of the flowers is not a little remarkable ; they all, though not 
bifarious in their insertion upon the scape, have a secund direc- 
tion, as have the petals themselves of the flowers ; so that, on 
looking along one side of the scape, you see the interior of all 
the petals. The anther diff'ers from Dendrobium, at least 
from that of D. Pierardi, in having no appendage whereby it 
is attached to the column after it has sprung from its place of 
insertion ; and, what is perhaps of more importance than any 
other circumstance, there are, instead of two pairs of parallel 
pollen-masses, easily separated from each other, four pairs, con- 
nected together by their subpedicellate bases upon a common 
gland ! In all probabihty, this peculiarity will be the foundation 
of a distinct genus ; but with my present limited knowledge of 
what ought to form essential characters in this curious but in- 
teresting family, I prefer ranking the present individual under 
a well established genus, although it may vary from it in some 
material point. Besides transmitting to me a spike and leaf 
of this species, Mr H. Shepherd was also so kind as to send 
me a sketch of the whole plant, by means of which I have been 
enabled to give the accompanying complete representation of 
it, 
Fig. 1. Back view of a flower, natural size. Fig. 2. Front view of a flower, 
the lip being forced back, to shew the inner part of the inflorescence, 
which is thus entirely exposed to view. Fig. 3. Top of the column, 
from which the anther. Fig. 4. is removed. Fig- 5. Inside view of an 
anther-case. Figs. 6. & 7- Pollen-masses.— ^4// biii Fig. 1. 7rtore or less 
triagnifietL 
