[Illustration: PL. 89. EULOPHIA GUINEENSIS PURPURATA.]
EULOPHIA GUINEENSIS PURPURATA. [Plate 89.] _Native of West Tropical Africa._
Terrestrial. _Pseudobulbs_ short, roundish-ovate, marked near the apex with one or two annulate scars, indicating the bases of former leaves. _Leaves_ with an oblong-oblanceolate acuminate blade six inches long, narrowed below into a petiole of about half the length, somewhat plicate. _Scape_ arising from the base of the pseudobulb, twelve to fifteen inches high, including the _raceme_ of seven to ten flowers, furnished at intervals with pale brown sheathing bracts, which become smaller upwards. _Flowers_ pedicellate, spurred, remarkable for their narrow dark sepals and petals and their broad highly-coloured lip; _sepals_ about an inch long, linear acuminate, deep rosy purple, the lateral ones spreading horizontally; _petals_ directed upwards between the erect dorsal and the spreading lateral sepals, and similar to them in size, form, and colour; _lip_ three-lobed, the front lobe roundish-ovate pointed, about an inch and a quarter in length and in breadth, wavy at the margin, of a rich bright magenta, traversed by deep crimson flabellate veins, which become deep rosy purple as they converge towards the base when they suddenly stop, the extreme base being white; the side lobes are short and blunt, of a blush. _Spur_ slender, deep purple, three-fourths of an inch long. _Column_ bent forward, rosy purple, slightly keeled at the back.
Eulophia guineensis purpurata, _Reichenbach fil._, in _Kotschy's Plantæ Binderianæ Niloticæ Æthiopiceæ_, 3; _Kotschy_, _Plantæ Tinneanæ_, 63.
_Eulophia_ is a small genus of Orchids of which a few species are known in cultivation. The one we now describe is a most beautiful and distinct variety of a species which was cultivated many years since, and one that everyone may admire. Our drawing was taken from a specimen in the grand collection of Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., M.P., Burford Lodge, Dorking. It is a very rare plant, and is most difficult to import from its native habitats. It is also supposed to be difficult to establish, but it is so rare that few persons have had the opportunity to try it. Sir Trevor Lawrence manages to cultivate it very successfully, and we have also seen it well grown in the Collection of H. Shaw, Esq., of Buxton, who has also flowered it. We have heard of very few other plants, and, therefore, we should like to see a good importation of it, as many cultivators would, we are quite sure, be glad to possess such a gem.