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New Polynesian Orchids.

Described

By Baron Ferd. Von Mueller, K.C.M.G., M.D., F.R.S., E.L.S., F.G.S., F.R.G.S ., C.M.Z.S., H.F.R.H.S., &C.

Bulbophyllum sciadanthum.—Stems compressed and at least their upper joint gradually broad-dilated and flattened; leaves narrow-lanceolar, elongated; umbel 8-10 flowered, sessile; stalklets very long, bearing at the articulated summit a minute thinly acuminated bract; lobes of the calyx rose-colored; the upper lobe ovate-lanceolar; lower lobes deltoid-semilanceolar, connate into a short almost semi-ovate base; inner lobes lanceolar, not much shorter than the outer, slightly longer than the labellum; the latter somewhat thicker than the other portions of the calyx-limb, ovate-lanceolar, towards the base slightly dilated, but not distinctly lobed, above the base callous from two depressed incrassations, thence upward smooth, at the margin somewhat membranous, at the base provided with a very short unguis; free part of the column extremely short, not prominently denticulated; tube of the calyx slender, twice or three times as long as the lobes, at first bent downward.

On the summit of ranges at the sources of the Waimasse-River in the Island Upolu of the Samoan Group; Betche.

An epiphyte; pseudobulbs not seen. Leaves attaining a length of nearly one foot and a width of about one inch; their consistence not very thick. Umbel partly clasped by the base of an elongated leaf and generally supported also by several diminutive leaves. Stalklets 2½-3½ inches long. Height of the calyx-limb hardly above 1/3 of an inch. Ovary narrow as in Sarcochilus, measuring about one inch. Pollinia dropped from all flowers which came under dissection. The labellum not being very carnulent, this plant might bo transferred to Dendrobium, if indeed any difference of the pollen-masses may not remove it into another generic group. In flower during November and December.

Dendrobium Johnsoniœ.—Racemes conspicuously stalked, glabrous, bearing several very large white flowers; bracts deltoid or lanceolar-ovate, much shorter than "the stalklets; outer three lobes of the calyx semi-lanceolar, narrowly acuminated, of about equal length, the two lower of these with their adnate base forming a short deltoid-saccate prolongation; the two inner lobes nearly twice as long as the outer, elongated-rhomboid, attenuated into a narrow wedge-shaped base, pointed into an acumen at the summit; Labellum (labial lobe) somewhat shorter than the inner lobes, but exceeding the outer in length, ridged along the median line of its lowest portion by a narrow callous vertical straight plate with a free and blunt end', lateral lobules bf the labellum nearly semi-orbicular, from one-third to half the length of the plainly membranous almost ovate but slightly acuminated main page 96 (upper) portion; column adnate up to the stigma, terminated by two short recurved tooth-like lobules; anther emarginate at the summit; fruit truncated-pear-shaped.

Eastern peninsula of New Guinea; Rev. James Chalmers.

Had it not been my particular desire to accede to a wish of the enterprising discoverer of this magnificent orchid, that it should be named after the "daughter of the Rev. Mr. Johnson of Surrey-Hills, New South Wales, a young lady, who materially had assisted the New Guinea Mission," I should have hesitated to describe this plant for publication, no leaves being transmitted with the flowers. Of the latter from 10-12 in the racemes received, pure white (to judge from the dried specimens) except a rosy tinge of the labellum, particularly over its lateral lobules. Inner lobes of the calyx tender-membranous, remarkably large, thus attaining a length of nearly VI inches. Pollinia dropped from all flowers examined. Semi-mature fruit already half an inch thick, about as long as its stalklet. Dendrobium Johnsoniœ differs essentially from D. macrophyllum, near which it will have to be placed systematically, in not downy racemes, in less elongated pedicels, in very much shorter bracts, in the not yellowish flowers, in double the size of the inner calyx-lobes (though similar in form, unless more dilated), in their being very distinctly-extended beyond the other portions of the calyx, in the more elongated and less roundish upper part of the labellum and in the elongated basal ridge of the latter.

Along with the flowers of D. Johnsoniœ I received those of a species, allied to D. undidatum and D. Joliannis, which new congener I should like to distinguish in honor of the finder as D. Chalmersii; it differs from both already by the lobes of the calyx being more pointed, the inner of them decurrent, the basal pouch shorter and the labellum proportionately longer with a comparatively broader summit; D. Chalmersii agrees with D. Johannis in minute bracts and also almost in the size of the flowers, but has the terminal part of the labellum still broader, so much so as to exceed considerably the width of the lower portion, the reverse taking place in D. undulatum. Leaves not obtained. Racemes 3-4 inches long, glabrous; color of the flowers faded in the transmitted dried specimens, perhaps yellowish. Stalklets fully as long as the flowers, if not longer. Lobes of the calyx twisted-and wavy-crisp, narrowly accuminate, the 3 outer semi-lanceolar, the lateral somewhat smaller and not attenuated at the base, but narrowly decurrent from the upper lobe along a portion of the column to the two lower lobes, the latter adnate only to form the short basal roundish-blunt prolongation, thus the lateral lobes not so distinctly interior as usual. Labellum measuring about half an inch, slightly "longer than the other portions of the calyx, its terminal lobo in outline almost renate, much crisped, somewhat folded back, hardly shorter than the lower portion of the labellum, which is roundish semiovate, produced at the junction with the upper lobule into a short blunt tooth at each side, and raised along the axis by three slightly elevated lines; column at the apex deltoid-bidenticulated; pollinia elavate-oval.

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Dendrobium fililobum.—Glabrous; stems very slender, not jointed arising from a fibrous root, enclosed in elongated membranous scales at the base, terminated by a single linear-lanceolar rather long fiat leaf; peduncle very thin, about as long as the clasping lanceolate-linear rather elongated and rigid bract, bearing seemingly only one or two pale-yellowish flowers; stalklet about twice as long as the calyx, the five lobes of the latter tender-membranous, from a broadish base narrowed almost to hair-like thinness, the inner lobes somewhat shorter than the outer, but all in proportion to their narrowness extremely long, the lower two produced at the base into an oblique semiovate-conical prolongation; labellum purple, about three times shorter than the calyx-lobes, narrow-linear, acute, glabrous, dark-colored, at one-third of its height produced into two minute violet' colored, decurrent lobules, the median line raised; free part of column very short; ovary slender.

On trees at the sources of the Waimasse-River in the island of Upolu of the Samoan Group, at an elevation of about 2,000 feet; Betche.

Stems yellowish, 6-10 inches high. Pseudobulbs none. Leaves 5-7 inches long, ½-2/3 inch broad. Floral bract yellowish, nearly ono inch long, complicated. Flowers resembling those of Eria (Mitopetalum) speciosa, but the lobes still narrower. Stalklets 1 ½-2 inches long. Outer lobes of the calyx slightly exceeding one inch in length. Pollinia already dropped from the only flower available for dissection. Fruit not seen. Flowering in December. Allied to D. tipuliferum (G. Reichenb., in the Gardener's Chronicle 1877 p. 72), from Fiji; leaf not vaginated, outer lobes of the calyx not much broader than the inner, nor dark-purple, labellum except the solitary tooth-like lobule on each side quite entire at the margin. Other species with very narrow lobes of the flower are D. bijlorum, D. camaridiorum, D. acuminafissitnum and D. longicolle. Anomalous in the genus as regards the inarticulated stems.