PL. CCCVII. 
AËRIDES SUAVISSIMUM lindl. 
THE SWEETEST AIR-PLANT. 
AERIDES. Sepala subaequilonga, patentia, posticum ovatum v. ôblongum, lateralia latiora, basi pede columnae 
adnata. Petala sepalo postico subsimilia. Labellum pedi columnae affixum, erectum v. incumbens, basi calcaratum, 
calcare sursum recurvo v. sub lamina ascendente intus vacuo; lobi latérales ad latera calcaris erecti, latiusculi, saepius 
parvi ; médius patens, ovatum v. amplum. Columna brevis, crassiuscula, basi in pedem producta, exalata; clinandrium 
truncatum, parum prominens. Anthera terminalis, opercularis, incumbens, convexa, 2-locularis ; pollinia 2, compresso- 
globosa, extus sulcata, inappendiculata, anthera déhiscente stipiti angusto v. complanato affixa, glandula squamiformis. 
Capsula oblonga v. clavata, erostris, patens v. reflexa, saepius crassiuscula, rarius longior et angustior, costis pro- 
minentibus v. anguste alatis. 
Herbae epiphyticae, caulibus foliatis non pseudobulbosis. Folia disticha, coriacea, v. subcarnosa, vaginis per- 
sistentibus caulem obtegentibus. Racemi latérales, nunc simplices dense floribundi, nunc ramosi laxiores. Flores 
médiocres v. majusculi, racemis saepius speciosis, bracteae parvae. 
Species ad 20, Indiae orientalis, Archipelagi Malayani et Asiae orientalis usque ad Japonicum incolae. 
Aërides Lour. Fl. Cochinchin. (1790), p. 525. — Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant., III, p. 576. 
Aërides suavissimuwi. Foliis linearibus inaequaliter bilobis recurvis; racemo pendulo v. subpendulo multifloro; 
bracteis nanis ovatis scariosis ; sepalis petalisque ovalibus obtusis, patentissimis ; labello cornuto ascendente columnae 
appresso trilobo, lobis lateralibus oblongis subdenticulatis, lobo intermedio nano lineari bifido integro v. denticulato. 
Aërides suavissimum Lindl., in jfourn. Hort. Soc., IV (1849), p. 264.— Id. in Paxt. Fl. Gard., II, p. 141, 
t. 66. — Rolfe in Gard. Chron., 1890, pt. I, p. 43. — Hook. f. Fl. Brit. Ind., VI, p. 47. — Veitch Man. Orch., 
pt. VII, p. 78. 
A. fiavidum Lindl., in Paxt. Fl. Gard., II (1851-1852), p. 101. 
A. Reichenbachianum Linden, in Koch et Fintelm. Wochenschr., I (1858), p. 61. — Rchb. f. Xen. Orch., II, 
p. 11, t. 104. 
A. nobile Warner Sel. Orch., I (1862), t. 11. — Regel Gartenjlora , XIX, p. 40, t. 641. 
A. Rohanianum Rchb. f., in Gard. Chron. (1884), pt. I, p. 206. 
Var. Ballantineanum Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind., VI (1890), p. 37. — Veitch Man. Orch., pt. VII, p. 78. 
A. Ballantineanum Rchb. f., in Gard. Chron., 1885, pC H, p. 198. 
ërides suavissimum was originally described by D r Lindley in the Journal 
of the Horticultural Society for 184g, from a plant introduced from the 
Straits of Malacca by Messrs Loddiges of Hackney, with whom it 
flowered in June of that year. In general appearance it was described as being 
similar to A. odoratum, but in fragrance more balsamic and delicious. The sepals 
and petals are white or pale blush, with a lilac tip ; the lip is pale nankeen yellow, 
with a lilac streak along the centre of the middle lobe, the tip of the spur being 
reddish, It differs from A. odoratum in the middle lobe of its lip being emarginate 
and much longer than the latéral ones. A. fiavidum, described by Lindley imme- 
diately afterwards, soon proved to be simply a variety of the same. A. Reichen¬ 
bachianum and A. Rohanianum appear to be also varieties of this species. 
Although closely allied to A. odoratum in many respects, it is markedly 
