482 
WESTMORELAND. 
Continental America or in the great Indian isles, yet 
it has many species of much beauty. Epidendrum 
ciliare and Brassia caudata are curious forms, the 
former for the delicately-fringed white lip, and the 
latter for the length and slenderness of its spotted 
yellow petals. The shell-like form of Epid. coch- 
leatum and E.fragrans is interesting, as is the delight- 
ful perfume widely diJBTused by the latter. The lilac 
spikes of lonopsiSf and the crimson ones of Brough- 
tonia sanguinea, yield to few in beauty ; and of ter- 
restrial species, a rich purple Bletia that I found 
in the Bocdguas near Spanish Town, and a Phajus 
from the summit of Bluefields Peak, are particularly 
noble. 
I have not found that the Orchidece, any more 
than other tribes of plants, are confined to one par- 
ticular season of flowering. It is commonly con- 
sidered that the dry season is a period of rest for these 
parasites, and that the return of the periodical rains 
stimulates them to push forth their leaves and flowers. 
In Jamaica, however, there are many exceptions to 
this, so many that it can scarcely he deemed the 
rule. Thus in February and March, the time of 
drought, Broughtonia sanguinea flowers profusely and 
magniflcently all along the shore of Westmoreland. 
Epidendrum umhellatum I also found in blossom, 
not far from the shore ; and a little Polystachia (?) 
appeared to have just done blossoming. Angrcecum 
funale continues to throw out its elegant flowers 
successively all through this period of drought. 
In the mountain woods, at the same time, I found 
the dense spikes of Epid. nutans depending in abun- 
