; ! ih !
, I, ¡ ' !,
breÜii-eii. Some idea of its " puissnncc" maybe gathered from llic lact of its having completely overpo^\•
crcd tlie fr.igrimce of ''trrides odoratum," when piacetl by its side, alÜJOiigh the latter had been
designated by Professor LIKDLKV as "the sweetest of all ilowere." Perfumes are not easily described in
words, especially when they cannot be compared to something of the ssimc kind previously known ; and tliis
is eminently the case with our present Epidendnun, whose rich sugary odour has been said, by one, to
resemble that of liie Sweet Scabious,—by another, to approach that of Pergiilaria odoralm¡ma,—\\\úh a
(hij-d has declared that it melh as Angelica taslcx, ¡md tlnis ailbrds a good example ol" the near connexion
of the two senses. The abo\^e attempts at description will, however, at best, convey but a verj- inadequate
notion of its sweetness, and we must, therefore, hope (hat our readers may, one day, have an opportunity of
judging of it for themselves.
Our plant is a native of Guatemala, whence it was sent to us, in IS35. by Mr . SKIXNEU, but it does
not appear to be at all plentiful there, as not more than two specimens have ever reached HS : neither have
we observed it in any other collection. Jt is, in some respects, allied to E. odoratissmmn, from ^^•hich its
habit ¡ilone would at once distinguish it; indeed, we are acquainted with no species that at all approaches
this in the form and magnitude of its pseudo-bulbs, imless it be an undescribed one from Mexico
{E.htñdum Xoii.), which has been recently imported by Mr.JÍAUKEn, and the IJorticultund Societj^; and
hkev\ise by Messi-s. Low and Co., of the Clapton Nurserj-; but tlüs plant, independently of its very
diflerent flowers, has broader and shorter leaves, and never more than one on each pseudo-bulb.*
E. aromaUcum fiowers very freely in (lie early part of summer, aud conÜuues in perfection for several « eeks; it
IS, tiowever, by no means of a robust disposition, and we Lave nol yet seen it form any psenclo-bulbs even onc-lialf tlic
-size of tl>e nnported ones; hut we expect it will be found to prefer a drier and cooler atniospLcre than Orcliidaceie «re
iisiiaUy fp-own ui; as its roots, which it is now ver>- apt to lose, would then enjny u greater likelihood of being ))resenTd
Irom decay. For the necessity of attending to the welfare of the " old roots,"' as also for imu»v other important
remarks o,. the cidtivation of the tribe, wo «-oul.l beg to refer our readers lo the fir.st number'of Dr. LiNDLEVs
- Sertum Orchidaceuni," a truly valuable and beautiful work, and one of which even the Orchidace.x may be proud.
In the interior of Mexico, and other parts of Tropical America, a .singular kind of « Club-Moss" is not uufrequently
met w.tf,, which, when drj-, folds itself up into a compact ball, much iifter the manner of a voung ¡,edge-ho-,
hut wiuch, when tuider the influence of rain or moisture, gradually expands again. This i
involvens," ajid tufts of it are occasionally brought to Ihis countrj-, which retain [
1 great length of time, stretching themselves out when plunged in
Lycopodium
of their elastic powers
•ater, but folding t , - . , ' n 1" "cum "ULci, uui loioiug uhieemmsseelivveess nnpp aaggaaiinn
'hen sufiered to become dry. The specimen introduced below enjoyed tlie distinction of sitting for its portrait to
,ady JAKE \V ALSJI, Iro.u whose exquisite drawing we were kindly permitted lo copy our Vitniette. This Lvconodium
Iso ofliciaics ns »r^ PU«.. YT i . . - • ,- ^ _ .
Lady
also officiates
represented
tail-piece to Plate XI., where it
" closed for the present."
y be seen wielding t » Briari'iis :—here, it is
' CuIiivMion frü<|um,lj- Oflccis luiii " a rcvolnion ir. üie ÌM," of (),cl,i,lace<r. and of thi. n notable
tn ill.' mid »pirimens ^liicli adlimd lo ilic plani
compound Iliad of flower», wliilc in culiivsiion ili
fumi.l.cd by K. ,
aitivitj, (lie spikf. »«re naked for nearly iJicir whole Icngl)., and lerminated in a very deii.e
iciamorj-hoMd into looie panici«, wliicli commence within a few inch™ of ilie crown of the