[103]

July 9th 1862 Cycnoches ventricosum named by Lindley. Mr Veitch same plant as in Orchid-Book

All yellowish green except distal part of Labellum which is white - Extraordinary appearance.

Column very thin & flexible & elastic; arched like swans neck. (see George's drawing) so that the protuberant anther is nearly parallel to surface of labellum. Latter not sensitive nor knob on side of flower.

I found in 3 specimens that the sensitive point is nearly near to or part of the long filament of anther between the two little leaflike appendages, which lie on anther. When edge of handle of scalpel here pressed, Pollinium was ejected to very slight distance. All takes place as in M. ignea except that owing to the immense curtain of disc which slides over anther & the

[103v]

Labellum thick fleshy & pulpy usual taste

Flower hang with swan's-neck, with column right downward

Disc, pedicel, & pollen-masses all as in M. ignea. Anther-case not produced into spike. Hence the column is here curved instead of Labellum, which stands at nearly ∠s to curiously bent ovarium. Base of Labellum bright green

Pedicel not hinged to disc

Ovarium not always so much bent, at least not in terminal flower of spike.

[in margin:] Probably stigma becomes viscid in old flowers, after one pollinium removed

[104]

viscid surface of disc, after explosion, stands at ∠ to surface of anther - viscid matter sets or dries very quickly & changes colour - pedicel straightens itself & anther-case can be removed, in about 15'

In M. ignea viscid surface quite reversed. Curtain covers whole stigmatic cavity. I have little doubt that very large insect alights on upper lower & concave surface of Labellum & crawling over touches presses with its head or thorax the anther, which explodes & sticks to front end of insect. When end of column touched by finger disc sticks to end. It is possible that insect alight on end of column, meaning to crawl up it to the Labellum.

[104v]

Stigmatic chamber lined with pulpy matter, hardly viscid. The pollinia are ejected about an inch -no doubt they are not ejected under nature but strike the insect - The knobs on side of stigmatic cavity are not the sensitive points

The stigma not sticky; but then [curtain] wd. prevent early fertilisation, so could partly become so; surface covered with thick layer of pulpy matter, which after spirits showed plenty of contents. But the utriculi are of small size.

Pollen-masses large & of good size.

Ovules after spirits decidedly opake & pulpy, & brownish but cd not see nucleus distinct from [illeg] Therefore Hermaphrodite - See reference to Mr Bateman C. Egertonianum must be male or female Curtain around whole stigmatic chamber