Sarcanthus
(from sarx, sarkos, flesh, and anthos, a flower; referring to the substance of the flowers). ORD. Orchideae. A genus including about a score species of stove, epiphytal orchids, inhabiting the East Indies, South China, and the Malayan Archipelago. Flowers often yellowish-green, purplish within, small, shortly pedicellate; sepals and petals free, sub-equal, spreading, slightly fleshy; lip affixed to the base of the column, spreading, spurred at base, the lateral lobes short, ear-like, or oblique, the middle one ovate, oblong, or lanceolate; column oblong, sub-terete; pollen masses four; bracts small; peduncles lateral, often slender, simple or paniculately branched. Leaves distichous, coriaceous or fleshy, flat or terete. Stem leafy, not pseudo-bulbous. These plants should be grown in teak-baskets suspended near the glass in a moist stove. They thrive best in peat fibre and sphagnum, with a few lumps of charcoal about their roots. The species best known in gardens are here described.
S. arietinus (ram's-head). fl. greenish, with a rosy lip, having the medial lobe triangular and yellowish, and the side lobes purplish, numerous. l. straight, terete, as thick as a quill. Assam, 1869. A remarkably odd, stiff-looking plant.
S. belophorus (hammer-bearing). fl. of an ochreous colour, with two longitudinal, purple-brown stripes on the sepals, petals, and lip, small. l. ligulate, equally bilobed, undulated. 1883. A small species. S. chrysomelas (dark-golden). fl. yellowish, having the disk of the sepals and petals blackish-purple, borne in a large panicle. l. broad, lorate, unequally bilobed. Moulmein, 1869.
S. erinaceus (hedgehog-like). fl. white, with a prettily rose-tinted lip, numerous; spikes pendent, axillary, the rachis red and hairy, as are also the ovaries. Moulmein, 1867. (B. M. 5630.) SYNS. Aerides dasypogon, A. rubrum. S. filiformis (thread-like). fl. very small; sepals and petals chocolate-coloured, reflexed; lip pale yellow, tipped with pink; raceme seven or eight-flowered. l. filiform. East Indies, 1842. Allied to S. teretifolius. (B. M. 4639.) S. flexus (zigzag panicled). fl., sepals yellowish-brown, tipped outside with reddish-brown; petals yellowish-brown; spur of the lip whitish-yellow, the blade at first of the same colour, afterwards yellow; panicle zigzag. l. short, ligulate, bilobed. Borneo, 1881. A robust plant. S. guttatus (spotted). A synonym of Rhynchostylis retusa. S. Hincksianus (Hincks'). fl. smaller; sepals and petals green, with three equal, red stripes; side lobes of lip blunt, and callus with medium angels; spur longer and more attenuated. Otherwise, this plant resembles S. teretifolius, but is more slender than that species. Native country uncertain. 1878.
S. laxus (loose). fl. dirty-white, somewhat fleshy; sepals oblong blunt acute; petals linear-ligulate, blunt acute; lateral laciniae of lip erect, oblong, lobed, the middle one triangular, apiculate, hollowed out; spur conical; raceme long, many-flowered, lax, hairless. l. close together, few, short, very thick, oblong, bluntly bilobed or bidentate, keeled on the under side, and with numerous purple spots. Stems very short. Moulmein, 1865. (Ref. B. 109.) S. Lendyanus (Lendy's). fl. borne in a small, loose panicle; sepals and petals greenish, with a purple disk; lateral lobes of the lip orange, with two purple lines, roundish, with introrse angles; middle lobe white, with purple spots, oblong; spur as long as the purple ovary. l. linear, blunt, bilobed. Saigon, 1884.
S. macrodon (long-toothed). fl. yellowish, streaked with purple; sepals and petals oblong, nearly straight; lip trifid; bracts very minute; raceme elongated, loosely many-flowered. l. abbreviated, oblong-ligulate, toothed at apex. India, 1872. A small and not particularly ornamental species. S. mirabilis (wonderful). fl. yellowish, with a purplish spur, small, disposed in an erect, racemose panicle 1 1/2ft. long. l. 6in. long. India, 1878. A plant of no particular merit.
S. paniculatus (panicled). fl. yellowish; sepals and petals marked with two blood-coloured stripes, linear-oblong, undulated; blade of lip two-horned; spur straight; spike paniculate. l. long-lorate, obliquely bilobed and obtuse at apex. China. SYN. Aerides paniculatum (B. R. 220). S. Parishii (Parish's). fl. yellow, with a rose-coloured lip, small, produced in slender spikes. l. lorate, obliquely tipped. Moulmein, 1861. An inconspicuous plant. (B. M. 5217.) S. rostratus (beaked). fl. bone in a simple, horizontal spike equalling the leaves; sepals and petals yellowish-green, with sanguineous margins; lip violet, produced into a beak. l. lanceolate, acute, flat, sub-recurved. China 1824. (L. C. B. 39B.) S. striolatus (slightly striated). fl., sepals and petals orange coloured, with two cinnamon, parallel, longitudinal bars; lower part of the spur white, the upper part of the lip orange. Philippine Islands, 1882. S. succisus (lopped-off). fl., sepals and petals yellowish-green, purple in the middle, obtuse; lip yellow, blood-coloured at apex; spike simple, horizontal or deflexed, longer than the leaves. l. oblong, slightly undulated, praemorse. China, 1824. (B. R. 1014.) S. teretifolius (terete-leaved). fl. sepals and petals yellowish-green, marked with sanguineous veinings, obtuse, reflexed; lip white, the margins of the throat violet; spur straight, obtuse, pubescent within; spike simple, horizontal, equalling the leaves. l. terete. China, 1819. (B. M. 3571.) SYN. Vanda teretifolia (L. C. B. 6).
S. Williamsonii (Williamson's). fl. of a pretty amethyst-colour, disposed in spreading panicles. l. pale green, terete. Assam, 1865. An elegant little plant, resembling a diminutive Vanda teres.