131 
ON THE CHARACTERS, VARIETIES, AND CULT1VA1TQN OF 
CATASETUM, 
BY MR. P. N. DON. 
( Continued from page 110.) 
Catasetum tridentatum- —is one of the abortive forms of cris- 
tatum ; the sepals and petals are green, finely spotted with brown ; 
the lip is saccate at its base, being sometimes dark-coloured, and 
at others of a beautiful yellow; the column is somewhat of the 
form of cristatum , but the appearance of a bird is not so well 
defined as in that. The anthers have the singular power of 
throwing themselves to a distance when touched ; and they have 
also a glutinous matter at their base, which makes them adhere 
to any thing that they fall upon, which, in fact, is the case in all 
this tribe of plants. It seems to be a provision of nature. When 
the pollen is perfect, the anthers are then thrown back upon the 
stigma, and the glutinous matter at the base, when the flower 
is not touched, prevents the anthers from being thrown out, 
which would be the case if it was not for the glutinous matter. 
When the anthers are thrown back, the pollen is then scattered 
over the stigma. The column is the seed-vessel ; and when the 
plant is about to perfect its seed, the peduncle begins to swell, 
and the flowers become persistent on the top of the seed-vessel. 
A native of Demerara—introduced in 1823. 
Catasetum floribundum —is another variety of cristatum , 
and very near tridentatum , but the flowers are closer set on the 
spike and do not open so much as tridentatum ; and the spotting 
is smaller, but in every other particular they are very like. There 
are a great many other varieties of tridentatum, differing in form, 
and more particularly in colour, but all very beautiful and well 
worth cultivating. A native of Brazil—introduced in 1823. 
Catasetum deltoidum. —The lip of this species is formed 
like the Greek delta; hence its name. It is a very curious 
species ; the sepals and petals are of a dull lurid green, as well 
as the lip. This species has no colour to recommend it; but its 
curious shape will at once attract the notice of those who are 
lovers of the singular forms of nature. A native of Demerara—- 
introduced in 1834. 
