PL. CCLXXXVII. 
AGANISIA IONOPTERA nicholson. 
THE VIOLET-WINGED AGANISIA. 
AGANISIA. Sepala aequalia, libéra, patentia. Petalis sepalis subsimilia. Labellum ungue brevissimo columnae 
basi affixum, quacum articulatum ; lobi latérales brèves v. obsoleti, médius patens, latus rotundatus v. subquadratus, 
integer v. late 2-3 lobus ; discus ad basin laminae late cristatus. Columna erecta, semiteres, basi non producta, apice 
utrinque lobo brevi obtuso v. longiore acutiusculo cum clinandrio caeterum integerrino continuo aucta. Anthera termi- 
nalis, opercularis, incumbens, dorso convexa v. breviter appendiculata, i-locularis; pollinia 4, cerea, obovoidea v. 
oblonga, acutiuscula, per paria connata, inappendiculata ; anthera déhiscente stipiti piano oblongo v. lineari affixa; 
glandula parva. 
Heibae terrestres v. epiphyticae, caulibus foliatis brevibus demum in pseudobulbos incrassatis. Folia pauca, saepe 
solitaria, p.licato-venosa, linearia v. latiuscula, in petiolum contracta. Scapi ad basin pseudobulborum v. e rhizomate 
erecti, aphylli, paucivaginati, saepe tenues. Racemus simplex, laxus, floribus mediocribus breviter pedicellatis. Bracteae 
parvae. 
Species circa 10, Americae tropic'ae incolae. 
Aganisia Lindl. Bot. Reg., XXV (1839), Mise., p. 46. — Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant., III, p. 544. 
Aganisia ionoptera. Caules foliati basi vaginis nonnullis, sursum monophylli folio cuneato oblongo ligulato acuto 
sque ultra pedali. Pedunculus basilaris ultra pedalis vaginis paucis distantibus apice racemosus ; bracteae triangulae 
ovariis pedicellatis bene breviores; sepala oblonga subacuta, lateralia subfalcata; petala oblonga acuta; labellum 
sessile panduratum, lobi latérales oblongi, lobus anticus emarginatus transversus; callus carnosus retusus bilobus inter 
sinus isthmi; columna utrinque retuso brachiata juxta androclinium. 
Aganisia ionoptera Nicholson, Dict. of Gard., I (1885), p. 35. 
Koellensteinia ionoptera Linden et Rchb. f. in Gard. Chron., 1871, p. 1451. 
n the présent species we hâve another of those interesting Orchids in 
which some shade of blue is represented in the flower, though, as 
usual, it is only a modification of that colour, a sort of purple-blue, 
which is represented. The species appears to be rather rare in cultivation, if, 
indeed, it has not been quite lost sight of for some years. It was originally des- 
cribed, in 1871, as Koellensteinia ionoptera , but that genus having proved identical 
with Aganisia , it was found necessary to change the name as above. It is said 
to hâve been originally sent from Peru, by Wallis, to Messrs Linden, and the 
plant now figured is believed to be identical. It agréés well with the original 
description, though I hâve only seen specimens from a recent importation, not 
from the original one, and therefore hâve not been able to compare them together. 
It is allied to Aganisia Kellneriana , Benth., the type of Reichenbach’s genus 
Koellensteinia, which, however, according to a figure in the Xenia Orchidacea 
(t. 24), has green segments*, besides other différences, and therefore is less 
* Since the above was written, a plant has flowered in the Kew collections which quite agréés with this figure. 
It was sent from New Granada, by Patin, without a name. R. A. R. 
