February 24, 1881. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 155 
Mr. Forbes a few years previous to 1830. It was also found in the 
Isle of Bourbon by another traveller. Specimens were introduced 
to the Horticultural Society’s Gardens, where one flowered in 
November, 1831, from which a figure was prepared for the 
“Botanical Register,” where it is stated that it was believed the 
specimen was the only one in the country. Twenty years later 
a much better figure was published in the “Botanical Magazine,” 
prepared from a plant at Kew which had been received from 
Mr. Clowes, 
A. citratum .—This s very distinct in habit from A. sesquipedale 
(To be continued.) 
Dimorphic Flowers in 
Houstonia.— In an extract 
from the Proceedings of the 
Academy of Natural Sci¬ 
ences of Philadelphia Mr. 
Thomas Meehan has these 
remarks — “ Flowers di¬ 
morphic in their sexual cha¬ 
racter are well known. 
Generally there is little difference in the corolla between the short- 
styled and long-styled flowers, but in Houstonia cmrulea the long- 
styled form is accompanied by a thick tube, while the tube in 
the short-styled form is not more than half the diameter of the 
other. In this species of Houstonia the anthers are placed on 
a ledge which is at the base of the tube in the long-styled form. 
In the short-styled form the anthers are brought to the mouth of 
the corolla without any lengthening of filaments, but by the bring¬ 
ing-up of this ledge on which the anthers are placed. The 
position of the anthers at the mouth or at the base of the tube, 
was in fact decided by the modification of the form of the corolla 
Fig. S3 .—Akgilecum citratum. 
and A. eburneum, but in gracefulness and beauty it is scarcely 
surpassed in the genus. The accompanying engraving admirably 
represents a plant growing in Messrs. J. Yeitch & Sons’ nursery, 
Chelsea, and proves how well the small Angrmcums, like most 
other epiphytal Orchids, thrive in the small shallow pots so suc¬ 
cessfully employed in that establishment. The plant flowers 
freely, producing elegant pendulous racemes frequently a foot in 
length, with closely packed small creamy white or pale yellow 
flowers, which are nearly an inch in diameter, with spurs about 
1£ inch long. The colour is very delicate, and it is to that the 
term “ citratum ” refers, and not to the possession of any marked 
fragrance as some have supposed. It is a charming little Orchid, 
and when suspended from the roof of an Orchid house its arching 
racemes are seen to the best advantage in contrast with the deep 
green foliage of the plant, and the rich colour of some Den- 
drobes, the glowing little Sophronitis, and the showy Ada au- 
rantiaca, most of which were noticeable near the species figured, 
the two former succeeding equally well in the small pans or pots 
mentioned. 
Though A. citratum has not been many years in cultivation it 
was known to Du Petit Thouars, who described it in the work 
already referred to. It is a native of Madagascar, whence Messrs. 
Veitch obtained it nearly twenty years ago, and in their nursery 
it first flowered in March, 1865. In the following year a specimen 
was exhibited at Kensington by the same firm in a class for new 
Orchids shown in flower for the first time, when a prize was 
awarded for it. In 1867 a very good coloured engraving of it 
appeared in the “ Botanical Magazine,” and on February the 18th, 
1874, the Floral Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society 
awarded Messrs. Yeitch a 
first-class certificate for the 
plant. It unquestionably 
merits a place wherever 
elegant Orchids are appre¬ 
ciated.— L. Castle. 
