Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1911 edition. Excerpt: ...The greater part of them are East Indian, growing among the Himalayan and other mountain ranges, and some inhabit the Malay Archipelago, the island of Mauritius, and China. From the last-named country comes the curious C. Chinense, which was introduced about the year 1842. The late Dr Lindley appended the following note in his description of this species: --" There is no longer any occasion for speculative minds to occupy themselves with the investigation of the cause that may have led the Chinese to invent strange figures of men and women with their chins perpetually in motion, for here is the explanation of it. We have here a plant from China, one of whose lobes is exactly like a tongue and chin, which are so unstable as to be in a state of continual oscillation. The flowers are arranged in a circle, and all look outwards, so that on whatever side the umbel is regarded it still presents to the eye the same row of grinning faces and wagging chins." Cirrhopetalum Medusa is another curious and interesting species. The scape is erect, and bears upon its apex a large, dense, globose cluster of flowers, which are cream-coloured, freckled with pink, two sepals of each flower being so much lengthened out as to give the spike the appearance of a head with very long dishevelled hair, hence the mythological name of Medusz. There are many varieties among the Cirrhopetalums which are not only curious, but are really handsome in appearance. Prominent among these is the plume-bearing C. Rothschildianum, the prevailing colour of whose flower is bright crimson purple, blotches of clear yellow appearing on the sepals, the triangular grooved hinged labellum being purple, and the whole flower so attractive that it commands attention from everyone....
