ANGULOA EBURNEA.[Plate 133.]Native of Colombia.

PL. 133.ANGULOA EBURNEA.

Epiphytal.Pseudobulbsoblong attenuated at the apex, four inches high, furrowed, dark green, sheathed while young with large leafy scales, which gradually pass into the true leaves, becoming leafless in age.Leavesbroadly elliptic-lanceolate acute, strongly ribbed and of thin herbaceous texture.Scapestout, springing from the base of the pseudobulbs, eight to ten inches high, with one or two distinct sheathing ovate acuminate pale green bracts.Flowerslarge, solitary at the top of the erect scape, subglobose, of a clear ivory white;sepalsbroadly orbicular-ovate, acute, cucullately concave, the margins of the dorsal and the tips of the connivent lateral ones recurved, white;petalssmaller, enclosed, concave, also white;lipwhite spotted with pink, turned up so to be parallel to the column, three-lobed, the lateral lobes broad narrowed to a point which is recurved, the middle lobe small, triangular, deflexed with a furrow down the centre.Columnclavate, the apex with three projecting subulate-triangular teeth directed downwards.Anguloa eburnea,Williams,Orchid Grower’s Manual, 3 ed., 67;Id., ed. 5, 91.

Anguloa eburnea,Williams,Orchid Grower’s Manual, 3 ed., 67;Id., ed. 5, 91.

Of this small Orchidic genus there are but few species known in cultivation. All those we have seen bear curiously-formed flowers, and are very showy. The species now before us has the flowers of an ivory white, and these when in bloom form a good contrast with the yellow flowers ofAnguloa Clowesiiand the beautifully spotted flowers ofA. Ruckeriand its varietyA. Ruckeri sanguinea, a figure of which latter plant will be found atPlate 19of our first volume. There are besides other species, but those we have mentioned are among the most showy.

Anguloa eburnea, our present subject, is an exceedingly rare and a very distinct species, which indeed we have seen in very few collections. We are indebted to Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart, M.P., of Burford Lodge, Dorking, whose collection, as is well known, abounds in rare Orchids, for the opportunity of publishing the accompanying figure.

Like the otherAnguloasthis is a plant of bold and majestic habit, producing large dark green pseudobulbs several inches high, crowned with the ample lively green foliage, which attains a foot and a half in height. The flowers, which are ivory white, proceed from the base of the pseudobulbs on scapes eight to ten inches in height. The character of these plants is to show their flowers after their pseudobulbs are well matured, and when the resting season has been completed, the young growth also appearing at the same time. The flowers are generallyproduced during the months of May and June, and last for several weeks in beauty. It should, however, always be borne in mind that in order to preserve them for any lengthened period, the flowers must be kept free from contact with moisture, inasmuch as white blossoms seem to have a greater tendency to spot than those of any other colours. Our present subject makes a grand exhibition plant, and moreover, one which is quite distinct in character.

We find theAnguloasvery accommodating, for in regard to their cultivation they will do equally well either in the Cattleya house, or in the cool Odontoglossum house. We cultivate them under both these conditions, but when grown in the cooler atmosphere we generally take them into the warmer house as they begin to show flower, and take them back to the cool house after they have finished blooming. At this time of the year—say June—the weather is warm, and we find that the cool house suits them, and the conditions thus secured induce them to make strong bulbs, which is a necessity if it is desired that they should bloom freely.

We find rough fibrous peat to suit them as a compost, and they must have good drainage. They should, moreover, be grown in pots. The roots require to be kept moist during the time the plants are in vigorous growth, but when their pseudobulbs are fully grown, which is the time for rest, very little water is required, merely sufficient to keep the bulbs plump. We find the best time for potting,—that is, if they require it—to be just as they begin to grow, and show their flower buds. The plants must be taken carefully out of their pots, and the soil being dry it will readily fall from the roots; the old roots, then dead, must be carefully cut away, and fresh ones will appear to supply their place. After potting, the roots will become vigorous, which will enable them to swell up their large pseudobulbs, and to perfect their flowers. They must be grown near the glass in order to ripen their bulbs and thoroughly mature their foliage, which, however, requires to be shaded to keep it from getting scorched.

Insects should be always looked after to keep them in check. Sometimes the scale attacks them, but this may easily be kept under by a sponge and clean water. In this work of cleansing always avoid rubbing the foliage too much, as this will cause bruises, which are very detrimental to the plant and cause it to look unsightly; moreover, perfect and uninjured foliage is a great adornment to a plant, and gives evidence of good cultivation and judicious care. These plants are propagated by dividing the pseudobulbs just as they begin to grow, leaving one or two at the back of the leading one. The divided portions must be placed in pots, using for compost the same kind of material as that recommended above.

Pl. 134.CALANTHE VESTITA WILLIAMSII.

Terrestrial.Pseudobulbsbroadly ovate or ovate-oblong, often five to eight inches long with a constriction above the middle, bluntly angular, in age furrowed, pale grey or ash colour, partially sheathed with membranaceous scales, and terminating in the remains of the previous set of leaves.Leaveslarge, broadly lanceolate acuminate, a foot long, of herbaceous texture, and a pale green colour, nervosely striate, deciduous, appearing after the decay of the flowers, two or more from each bulb.Scapesradical, tall, pale green, villous with spreading hairs, and having a few sheathing glabrous scales below, terminating in a raceme of fifteen to twenty or more flowers, with hairy pedicels, each subtended by a smooth, spreading or deflexed ovate-lanceolate boat-shaped bract, about an inch in length.Flowersshowy, about two inches across,sepalsoblong-lanceolate acute, narrowed towards the base, the dorsal one white, the lateral ones white on the upper, rosy crimson on the lower side at the base, the tips being white;petalssimilar in form, rather broader upwards, bluntly acute, margined with rosy crimson, and pencilled in the lower half with the same colour;lipadnate with the column at the base, its limb broadly roundish, deeply three-lobed, the lateral lobes oblong-obtuse, the broadly cuneate centre lobe emarginate, entirely of a dense bright rosy crimson, the discal region of a much deepened tint, and the margins paler.Spurslender, curved beneath and shorter than the lip, rosy, with a green tip.Columnadnate with the base of lip, the blunt projecting beak white.Calanthe vestita Williamsii,Moore, supra.

Calanthe vestita Williamsii,Moore, supra.

The genusCalanthewhich we now again bring under the notice of our readers, ranks amongst the most useful in cultivation for winter decoration. Several species and varieties have been introduced within the last few years, and have proved to be a great boon to plant growers and others who are fond of flowers, as the whole of this bulbous class produce their blossoms at a time when the beauties of nature are most appreciated. What can be more charming than the originalC. vestita, and its red-eyed and yellow-eyed varieties with their drooping flower spikes; or what more pleasing than theC. Veitchii, figured atPlate 31of our first volume, a hybrid raised by the Messrs. Veitch & Sons, of Chelsea, and a most useful decorative plant, its long spikes of rich rose-pink flowers producing a most charming effect when intermixed with the white-flowered kinds.

We have now another variety to make known, and one which, as will be seen from the accompanying figure, adds a new charm to the genus, since it will introduce among our winter blooming Calanthes a most distinct and showy form thatwill be welcomed by all plant growers as being superior in beauty to all those which have preceded it. It has been named in compliment to Mr. B. S. Williams, of Holloway. Our drawing was taken from a plant that had been blooming during the months of December, January and February in the Victoria and Paradise Nurseries. It seems to be of free growth, the pseudobulbs being like those ofC. vestita Turneri, the spikes of flowers being also of similar character and developed at the same time of year.

Calanthe vestita Williamsiiis a deciduous plant, with pseudobulbs from five to eight inches in height, and leaves a foot high and of a light green colour. The flower-spikes, which are produced from the base of the bulb, are two feet or more in length, and bear many flowers; the sepals and petals are white, faintly margined and striped with bright rosy crimson; the lip and column are of a deep rosy crimson, with an intense crimson eye. It continues to flower on for three months, when the bulbs are strong.

This novelty requires the same mode of treatment as that recommended forCalanthe VeitchiiatPlate 31of our first volume, where full cultural instructions are given.

Orchids at Downside, Leatherhead.—It is always a great treat to see the Orchid collection of W. Lee, Esq. We always find something to note for the advantage of our subscribers, who, like ourselves, are interested to read of things they have not already seen. What we are now about to describe was certainly a grand sight, namely, a house full ofPhalænopsis, of which there were many hundred spikes of blossom hanging in profusion over and amongst each other, and thus showing off their various tints of colour to advantage. There was first the whiteP. amabiliswith capital spikes, and thenP. grandiflora, an extraordinary large kind with well formed flowers ofP. Stuartiana, with its white spotted flowers, there were many varieties, differing in their spotting; and there were also two fine plants ofP. Brymeriana, a beautiful and rare kind. The most prominent, however, wasP. Schilleriana, with many spikes including some beautifully coloured forms, the mauve-coloured flowers of which, hanging amongst the white forms, produced quite a charmingensemble. The middle and side tables were one mass of colour, while on one side, for the whole length of the house, at the back of thePhalænopsidswas placed a row of the chaste and beautiful white-floweredAngræcum citratum, displaying as many as thirty spikes, each from eighteen to thirty inches long; these charming flowers overhanging thePhalænopsisproduced a most exquisite effect, well worthy a long journey to see. We may without presumption congratulate Mr. Lee on having produced so grand a picture.

There were besides the foregoing many other Orchids in bloom. Amongst other things we were glad to see theLycastesaccommodated with a very nice house, and making quite an attractive show. These most useful flowers were arranged on a central stage, and included several pure white forms which, intermixed with those of high colours, were remarkably effective.—B. S. W.

PL. 135.LÆLIA AMANDA.

Epiphytal.Stemsthin, fusiform, a foot to a foot and a half in height, diphyllous, invested by a sheathing mucronulate scale.Leavescuneate ligulate, bluntly acute, six to nine inches long, coriaceous, of a light green.Pedunclestwo flowered issuing from a small narrow spathe.Flowersfive to six inches across, delicately coloured;sepalsligulate-oblong acute, entire, of a flesh-colour or pinkish blush with purple veins, the dorsal one three inches long and three-fourths of an inch wide, the lateral ones somewhat longer and broader, slightly falcate-deflexed;petalslinear-oblong blunt, three inches long, and an inch broad, of the same pinkish-blush or pale rosy-lilac as the sepals, but more distinctly veined;lipthree inches long, rosy lilac, marked by longitudinal veins, with a cordiform base, three-lobed, the lateral lobes folded over the column and about twice its length, the front edge rounded and slightly wavy the middle lobe projecting an inch and a half, roundish-oblong, obtuse, apiculate, prettily veined with magenta, the few strongish central veins parallel, the rest divergent and variously netted, the tip paler, the veins continued through to the margin which is crispulate.Columndecurved, semiterete, winged, magenta except about the stigmatic hollow which is white, the apex toothed.Lælia amanda,Reichenbach fil., inGardeners’ Chronicle,N.S., xviii., 776.Cattleya Rothschildiana,of some gardens.

Lælia amanda,Reichenbach fil., inGardeners’ Chronicle,N.S., xviii., 776.

Cattleya Rothschildiana,of some gardens.

We are pleased to be able to figure and describe such a distinct species ofLæliaas the subject of our present plate, which forms quite a new type in the genus. It produces very chaste looking flowers, and is decidedly novel in the style of marking of its lip. There have been many new varieties of theL. elegansandL. ancepstype introduced of late, but few have proved so good as those obtained many years before: for example, of the forms of whiteanceps, none are so good asL. anceps Dawsoni; and of theeleganstype, there are none to surpassL. elegans albaand the darkL. elegans Turneri, and other beautiful sorts which might be named. Our drawing shows quite a distinct and novel form as compared with these, and was taken from a plant in the fine collection of W. E. Brymer, Esq., M.P., Ilsington House, Dorchester. There are many fine Orchids included in Mr. Brymer’s collection.

Lælia amandais an evergreen species, with pseudobulbs attaining about eighteen inches in height, and light green leaves. The flowers are produced in uprightspikes, the sepals and petals being of a pale tint of rosy lilac, the lip bright rose with lilac, veined with brighter rosy-purple. It blooms during the autumn, and according to Mr. Powell, Mr. Brymer’s gardener, lasts for six weeks in beauty. It is a free growing species, but like the forms ofL. elegansrequires good cultivation.

We find this kind does well either in a pot or basket. It should have good drainage, and be grown in rough fibrous peat with lumps of charcoal intermixed to keep the soil open, thus allowing the roots to run over it and cling to the lumpy peat and charcoal. We find all this class ofLæliasto thrive best elevated well above the pot or basket in which they are grown; the roots then come down more freely, and can go either into the compost or outside of it as they like, though in most cases it will be found that they prefer the outside; and to us it appears very delightful to see the fresh roots in this way enjoying the atmosphere of the house in which they are cultivated. They do the same in their native country, clinging to the trees, rocks, or any other firm substance on which they can lay hold. By growing them here as we have indicated, above the pot rim, the water passes off and most of the roots enjoy what is natural to them. They require a good amount of moisture when in vigorous growth, but should never be kept too wet, as this causes the soil to become soddened, and in this way are brought about the many failures that we hear of. Some cultivators imagine that because a plant is in vigorous health and growing freely nothing can hurt it, but this is a mistaken idea, as that really is the time during which they require more than ordinary care and attention. On the other hand, if the plants have become matured they will most probably suffer for it afterwards by the rotting of the young growth. When kept too wet the plants often become too sappy, and then after the growth is matured the cultivator may be startled to find the stems and foliage turning black and rotting away—a state of things which may frequently be attributed and often traced to over-watering. Before proceeding to water plants their requirements should be studied. Orchids require much forethought in reference to their treatment, especially as regards the temperature of the house compared with that of the atmosphere outside, the time of year making a considerable difference, as does the condition of the plants. All this has to be considered in reference to the treatment about to be bestowed upon them. There is no doubt that Orchids, when understood, are as easily cultivated as other plants, and some kinds more so, but on the other hand some require extra care and judicious management as regards light, air, potting material, and water; and unless a grower has some idea what his particular plants require he will most likely meet with failures. This is indeed sometimes the case with those who do know all the various requirements of particular subjects, but there is no doubt that where the treatment of a plant is well studied, a less amount of failure will be experienced. If a plant will not succeed in one part of a house, try it in another, and when a suitable spot is found let it remain them.

We findLæliaslike to be as near the light as possible, and they will thrive well in pots or baskets suspended from the roof, so that their roots can throw themselves out where they please. They might indeed all be grown in baskets if preferred.

PL. 136.CYPRIPEDIUM CALURUM.

Epiphytal. Acaulescent.Leavesspreading, tufted, ensiform, channelled especially towards the base, tapered to the apex, one and a quarter inch wide, green.Scapeof a brownish-red colour, tall, branched, bearing several flowers, with longish ovate-lanceolate boat-shaped bracts at the ramifications.Flowerslarge and handsome, five inches in lateral, three and a half inches in vertical expansion;dorsal sepaloblong ovate bluntish, pale watery green with several longitudinal purplish and darker green intermediate ribs, slightly flushed with red, the purple tint stronger on the glossy exterior, which is olive green, the extreme edge white;lower sepalbroad ovate, half as long as the lip;petalstwo and a half inches long, over half an inch broad at the base, narrowing to the apex, pale greenish white in the centre with an edge of wine-red one-eighth of an inch wide which meets towards the end so that the apex is wholly wine-red, the colour deeper and glossy outside with the central parts olive, the inside covered over with pellucid hairs, those on the lower half near the base longer and purplish;lipbold, oblong obtuse, nearly two inches long, the pouch deep wine-purple in front, paler behind, the sides deeply inflexed and with a roundish projecting lobe at the front angle of the aperture, greenish or creamy white with a few irregular purple spots, the inside of the pouch more distinctly spotted.Staminodegreenish white clothed with short stiff hairs, transversely oblong or reniform with an apiculus and having a fringe of short dark purple hairs on the front margin, the sterile lobe roundish, fleshy, greenish white, hairy.Cypripedium calurum,Reichenbach fil., inGardeners’ Chronicle,N.S., xv. 41.

Cypripedium calurum,Reichenbach fil., inGardeners’ Chronicle,N.S., xv. 41.

The class of hybridCypripediumsis becoming a numerous one, and some of the novelties are very distinct and beautiful, for although it may be difficult to beat the original types, yet in some cases they are superseded as regards colour, shape or form. We are greatly indebted to the Messrs. Veitch & Sons, of Chelsea, and others, for the good they have done in taking up the fertilisation of Orchids, and in raising the different forms which have appeared. The Lady’s Slippers are amongst the easiest of Orchids to fertilize, and the plants likewise take less time than any others of the family to attain the flowering stage. We trust the hydridisers will continue their good work, as there is yet such an abundance of choice materials to work upon, both as regards form and colour, and that by careful selection some wonderful changes may yet be wrought. We admit that a great deal has been accomplished, but there is yet a large field remaining unoccupied for those who feel disposed to take an interest in this most important and pleasing work.

The class of Orchids to which our present subject belongs, is one of the most useful for the decoration of our Orchid houses and exhibition tables, as they are free growing and profuse blooming plants, the flowers being also of long duration.Cypripedium calurumof which we now present our readers with a portrait is a continuous flowering variety, for as soon as one blossom dies off another appears, and so on until the spike has exhausted itself; and then when the new growths are made, fresh flower spikes appear, after the manner ofC. Sedenii. It is a hybrid betweenC. longifoliumandC. Sedenii, the latter itself being a hybrid betweenC. longifoliumandC. Schlimii, and was raised by the Messrs. Veitch & Sons, of Chelsea, to whom we are indebted for the opportunity of preparing our drawing, and who have a most wonderful lot of these beautiful hybrid Cypripediums, some others of which we hope to figure in due time.

Cypripedium calurumis an evergreen species of graceful habit, with long arching bright green foliage. The flower spikes are branched, several flowers appearing at the same time. They are large and handsomely coloured, the dorsal sepal reddish-green striped with pale purplish-crimson, the petals also pale crimson darkening towards the tip to a rich crimson, and having one green vein down the centre; the exterior of the lip is deep crimson, the inside greenish white, spotted with dull purplish-crimson. Each flower lasts for several weeks in perfection.

We find this plant does well grown in pots with rough fibrous peat or fibrous loam mixed with some leaf soil, and good drainage. It requires a moderate supply of water during the growing and flowering season. In fact, these plants may be said to be always growing and blooming, so that they should always be kept moist at the roots, as they have no succulent pseudobulbs to support them. We grow this plant at the cool end of the East India house with other Cypripediums, but it will thrive well in any ordinary stove. It is propagated by dividing the plant when there are several growths; this operation we find it best to perform just as the new growths begin to appear.

Odontoglossum sceptrum.—We feel great pleasure in acknowledging the receipt of a very fine spike ofOdontoglossum sceptrum, from the collection of W. McDonald, Esq., Woodlands, Perth. The panicle was eighteen inches in length, and bore seventeen perfectly formed flowers. It must have been cut from a well grown specimen. The sepals were large, of a deep chocolate-brown, streaked and margined with yellow; the petals were irregularly lobed at the edge, yellow, blotched with the same colour as the sepals; and the lip was yellow with chocolate-brown on the front part. This is a fine cool-house Orchid, and a native of New Grenada.—B. S. W.

PL. 137.ONCIDIUM TIGRINUM.

Epiphytal.Pseudobulbsovate, compressed, blunt-edged, two or three-leaved, three inches in length.Leavesoblong-lanceolate acute, leathery in texture, folded and sheathing at the base.Scaperadical, two feet long, bearing a panicle of numerous showy blossoms.Flowersdistinct in character from the marked contrast presented between the small tiger-striped sepals and petals, and the ample bright yellow lip, having a delicious odour of violets;sepalslinear-oblong acute, wavy and revolute at the margins, the lateral ones curving upwards laterally, so that they all stand above the base of the lip, the colour yellowish green, heavily blotched with transverse bands of dark chestnut-brown;petalssimilar to the sepals in form and colour, curving upwards laterally like the lateral sepals;lipthree-lobed, of a pure chrome yellow, paler on the outer side; the lateral lobes oblong with rounded angles, almost semicircular, entire, flat; the middle lobe large, about an inch in depth, and one and three-quarters inch in breadth, transversely oblong-reniform, emarginate, apiculate, with a distinct basal isthmus on which is seated a furrowed ridge or crest, one-eighth of an inch high, having a three-lobed tubercle in front.Columnshort, yellow, with two lateral oblong hatchet-shaped wings.Oncidium tigrinum,Llave et Lexarza,Novorum Vegetabilium Descriptiones, fasc. 2, 36;Lindley,Genera and Species of Orchidaceous Plants, 203;Id.Folia Orchidacea, Oncidium, No. 157;Reichenbach fil., inWalpers’ Annales Botanices Systematicæ, vi., 794.Oncidium Barkeri,Lindley,Botanical Register, 1841, Misc. 174;Id.Sertum Orchidaceum, t. 48;L’Illustration Horticole, t. 2;Paxton’s Magazine of Botany, xiv., 97.

Oncidium tigrinum,Llave et Lexarza,Novorum Vegetabilium Descriptiones, fasc. 2, 36;Lindley,Genera and Species of Orchidaceous Plants, 203;Id.Folia Orchidacea, Oncidium, No. 157;Reichenbach fil., inWalpers’ Annales Botanices Systematicæ, vi., 794.

Oncidium Barkeri,Lindley,Botanical Register, 1841, Misc. 174;Id.Sertum Orchidaceum, t. 48;L’Illustration Horticole, t. 2;Paxton’s Magazine of Botany, xiv., 97.

Oncidium tigrinumis one of the most beautiful and distinct of the many yellow-flowered species of Oncids. It is a free-growing and free-blooming species, of compact growth, with a moderate-sized branching spike, and flowers of long duration. It blooms at a time, in autumn, when Orchid flowers are most welcome. Another good quality of this plant is, that it will thrive well in the cool house, with Odontoglots, the bright colour of its blossoms proving to be extremely effective among the white flowers ofO. Alexandræ. It grows about the same size as that plant, and has good evergreen foliage, which is a great attraction in any plant, and helps to show the flowers off to advantage. Our drawing, which was taken from a specimen grown in the Victoria Nursery, represents one of the best forms we have seen. There are smaller varieties of this species, but they are all worthcultivating on account of their showy colours. This was, at one time, a rare plant, but latterly our collectors have been able to import it more freely.

Oncidium tigrinumis, as we have remarked, an evergreen species, with dark brownish green pseudobulbs, about three inches in height; and usually produces two leaves, about a foot in length, of a lively green colour, and a branching spike growing two feet long, and furnished with many handsome blossoms—the sepals and petals of which are greenish yellow, spotted and barred with brown, and the lip is bright yellow. It blooms during the autumn and winter seasons, and continues in bloom for six weeks. We grew this plant many years ago under the name ofO. Barkeri; it was very rare at that time, and we grew it with the Cattleyas, but we have found since, that it succeeds well in the Odontoglossum house. Since the plants may be bought at a cheap rate, many duplicates of this species should be grown, for its brilliant golden flowers produce a grand effect among the white and delicate tints ofO. Alexandræ. The yellow colour is required for contrast, and their spikes being similar in habit of growth, they associate well together.

We find the best material to grow them in is rough fibrous peat, with good drainage, which should be thus applied:—fill the pots three-parts full of broken crocks and charcoal mixed together; add a few lumps of charcoal to the peat, which helps to keep it open, moreover, the roots of the plant like to cling to it; let the plant be elevated on this material three inches above the pot rim, from which the roots will be delighted to run down, and can either go inside or work over the material, which should always be kept sweet and not allowed to stagnate. The plant is easy of cultivation if its requirements are attended to. It must be kept moist during the growing season, not, however, continually soaked with water, but just sufficient being given to keep the plant in vigorous state of growth. When the growth is completed, give just enough water to keep the pseudobulbs and foliage in a good plump state.

PL. 138.LÆLIA ALBIDA.

Epiphytal.Pseudobulbsovate, clustered, about the size of pigeon’s eggs, becoming furrowed in age, marked about the middle by a transverse ring or scar, diphyllous.Leavesnarrow lanceolate acute, somewhat leathery, of a deep green colour.Scapeterminal, slender, two or three times as long as the leaves, bearing a raceme of five to eight flowers, and furnished with rigid sessile ovate bracts.Flowerswhite, powerfully sweet-scented, with an odour resembling that of the glandular leaves of the Chinese Primrose, but having a honey-like sweetness superadded, rather small as compared with other species of the genus, being a little over two inches in expanse in each direction;sepalsoblong-lanceolate acute, spreading, plane, mucronulate, ivory white;petalsoblong ovate, subundulate, rather shorter than the sepals, recurved at the tip, mucronulate, also of an ivory white;lipobovate, three-lobed, the lateral lobes obtuse, of a rosy hue externally, inside veined with red-pink, erect, that is folded up against the column, the middle lobe roundish-oblong obtuse, obscurely apiculate, recurved, slightly tinted with rose; disk with three yellow crests running out in the front lobe into a pale red bar or central line, with rosy veins on each side which give a faint rosy tint to the surface, the two lateral crests yellow spotted with dark reddish-purple.Columnelongate, glabrous, crimson-purple on the inner face.Lælia albida,Bateman, inBotanical Register, 1839, misc. 4;Lindley,Botanical Register, 1839. t. 54;Hooker,Botanical Magazine, t. 3957.Bletia albida,Reichenbach fil., inWalpers’ Annales Botanices Systematicæ, vi., 428.

Lælia albida,Bateman, inBotanical Register, 1839, misc. 4;Lindley,Botanical Register, 1839. t. 54;Hooker,Botanical Magazine, t. 3957.

Bletia albida,Reichenbach fil., inWalpers’ Annales Botanices Systematicæ, vi., 428.

InLælia albidawe introduce to the notice of our readers a very pretty small-growing Orchid, which produces good useful flower spikes according to the vigour of the pseudobulbs, and which should therefore be grown in every collection. It blooms during the autumn months, and is a plant of quite a distinct character. We have many large-flowered grand species of this genus unsurpassed by any other Orchids, but the smaller growing kinds come in very useful where space is an object, and can be grown suspended from the roof, or on back wall of the house provided they get plenty of light and air, which they require in order to enable them to grow vigorously and flower freely. We are indebted to Herbert J. Adams, Esq., Roseneath, Enfield, for the specimen from which our drawing was taken, and which had been very successfully grown in his collection.

Lælia albidais an evergreen plant, and of compact-growing habit, as will be seen from the accompanying figure. It produces its flower scapes from the top ofthe pseudobulb after the growth is completed, and the spikes assume a drooping character. The sepals and petals are white, the lip being rose-purple. It blooms in December and January and lasts for three weeks in beauty. There are several varieties of it, varying in the colour of the lip and the size of the flower.

These plants, we find, do well on a block of wood, or in a basket suspended from the roof of the Mexican house, with as little shade as possible, and they require a good supply of water in the growing season. If grown on blocks they require syringing every day during their season of growth—sometimes twice a day, morning and afternoon, according to the weather and the state of the atmosphere of the house in which they are grown. A great deal depends upon this point. It is a good plan to take the blocks and soak them in water until the blocks and roots are thoroughly saturated, and when this is done they will not require syringing so often. If grown in baskets with rough fibrous peat or sphagnum moss, they must be well drained by mixing a few pieces of charcoal with the peat. They will also succeed well in the warmest end of the Odontoglossum house.

Mr. May, the gardener at Roseneath, is very successful in cultivating theseLælias, and they well repay all the attention that is given them. The plants must be kept from insects; they are subject to the white scale, which can easily be kept under when taken in time. Whenever a plant shows signs of insects, let them be at once eradicated, as delays are dangerous, and through procrastination much mischief may be done before the remedy is applied.

Dendrobium crassinode Barberianum.—We have received a noble example of this very fine Orchid from W. Turner, Esq., Over Hall, Winsford, Cheshire. The stem bore twenty-four flowers of large size, and the specimen from which it was cut was the best-grown plant we have seen. It had sixteen bulbs, averaging from eighteen inches to two feet in length, all in full bloom at one time, and presented a most glorious spectacle. The sepals and petals are of a beautiful clear white, tipped with rich purple, and the lip is white with a deep orange blotch at the base. We are pleased to be able to mention Mr. W. Turner’s name in association with so grand a plant, for he has been well known for many years as one of the oldest of our Orchid growers.—B. S. W.

PL. 139.ARUNDINA BAMBUSÆFOLIA.

Terrestrial.Stemserect, terete, striate, with the habit of a small bamboo, three to five feet high, as thick as a stout quill or one’s little finger, polyphyllous.Leavesa span to a foot in length, distant, distichous, ensiform, with the base sheathing the stem, and the apex attenuated, erect and spreading, the upper ones on the flowering stems reduced to sheathing bracts, which are numerous, short, ovate acute, spreading at the tips, so that thepedunclesare ochreate, of a whitish green, and terminate in a spike, sometimes branched, of several showy blossoms.Flowerslarge and effective, measuring about two and a half inches across;sepalsnarrow lanceolate, entire, the dorsal one erect, the two lateral ones sub-parallel, directed downwards, of a pale pink colour;petalsovate, plane, spreading laterally, of a deeper pink than the sepals, with a rose-pink stripe down the centre;lipthree-lobed, the lateral segments rolled over the column, pink, abruptly abbreviated in front, where they are recurved and deeper in colour; middle segment larger, bipartite, the divisions bluntly obovate-oblong, divaricate and crisped, of a magenta-rose, the throat white in the lower part, marked with white lines on each side, the disk bearing two fleshy undulated lamellæ or crests, and a third shorter straight one between them.Columnclavate, semi-terete, lying parallel with the lip.Arundina bambusæfolia,Lindley, inWallich’s Catalogue, No. 3751;Id.Genera and Species of Orchidaceous Plants, 125;Griffith,Notulæ ad Plantas Asiaticas, iii., 329, t. 314;Wight,Icones Plantarum Indiæ Orientalis, v., t. 1661;Reichenbach fil., inWalpers’ Annales Botanices Systematicæ, vi., 457.Cymbidium bambusifolium,Roxburgh,Hortus Bengalensis, 63.Bletia graminifolia,Don,Prodromus Floræ Nepalensis, 29.

Arundina bambusæfolia,Lindley, inWallich’s Catalogue, No. 3751;Id.Genera and Species of Orchidaceous Plants, 125;Griffith,Notulæ ad Plantas Asiaticas, iii., 329, t. 314;Wight,Icones Plantarum Indiæ Orientalis, v., t. 1661;Reichenbach fil., inWalpers’ Annales Botanices Systematicæ, vi., 457.

Cymbidium bambusifolium,Roxburgh,Hortus Bengalensis, 63.

Bletia graminifolia,Don,Prodromus Floræ Nepalensis, 29.

The plant we now introduce to the notice of our readers is very distinct from the ordinary types of Orchids, and is remarkable for its reed-like stems, and its very charming and beautiful blossoms. Its habit is to keep flowering in succession for a long period. When better known it will be much sought after; at present there are but few plants in cultivation, at least very few have come under our notice. There exist several varieties which vary in the colouring of their flowers; that which we now figure being a very good type. We are indebted to T. D. Cunningham Graham, Esq., Dunlop House, Stewarton, Ayrshire, for his kindness in sending the specimens for the use of our artist. A description of the Orchids at Dunlop House will be found underplate 118of our present volume.

Arundina bambusæfoliais an evergreen plant, with reed-like or bamboo-like stems, bearing foliage of a light green colour; the sepals and petals are pale magenta-rose,the lip rich rose shaded with magenta. It grows, in its natural state, from three to five feet in height, and produces its flowers from the top of the stems about July, continuing to bloom for some time during the summer and autumn months. Mr. Kemp, the gardener at Dunlop House, thinks it a most useful plant.

We find this Orchid to do best when grown in a pot, with good drainage. The material most suited to it is good rough fibrous peat and loam mixed together. It is a free-rooting species, but has no thick fleshy bulbs from which to draw support. These Orchids which have these reed-like stems require to be potted in a richer soil than others; they grow after the manner of theSobralia, and require similar treatment, that is, the treatment of the cool end of the East India house, with a good supply of water during the growing season, and to have the soil kept moderately moist when at rest; the plants need plenty of light, but should be shaded from the rays of the burning sun.

They must be kept free from insects, or the thrips will soon injure their foliage. They are propagated by dividing the crowns, and they also produce plants on the stems, which can be taken off and potted when they have formed roots. We saw some fine plants of this Orchid in the collection of W. Lee, Esq., of Leatherhead, which were producing shoots in this way quite freely, and these being taken off, soon formed young established plants.

Phaius tuberculosus(for figure, seeplate 91of our second volume.)—We are much pleased to be able to again record the flowering of this plant in the collection of A. Sillem, Esq., Laurie Park, Sydenham. It is generally considered a most difficult plant to cultivate, but here it grows most luxuriantly, no less than four spikes having been produced on three plants last February, all of which were distinct varieties. Mr. Billiard, the gardener, seems to have hit upon a plan of cultivation that suits this plant admirably, and great credit is due to him for his perseverance in the matter. We were so much interested in this successful treatment that we paid a visit to this collection to ascertain the mode of procedure, and Mr. Billiard was kind enough to give us the result of his experience, which we here reproduce for the benefit of our readers. “Our plants,” he writes, “have been grown on the northeast side of a sun-roofed house, close to the glass, in a temperature from 65° to 70°. We keep the sun from them as much as possible. They are potted in equal parts of peat and moss, with a small quantity of sharp sand, and plenty of crocks and charcoal as drainage. When making their growth they delight in an abundance of moisture at the roots. We find it necessary to sponge them weekly, as red spider, thrips and green fly are particularly fond of these plants. This year from three plants we have four spikes, which have opened twenty-three flowers; last year the same plants had one spike each, which gave us eighteen flowers in all.”—B. S. W.

PL. 140.CYMBIDIUM AFFINE.

Epiphytal.Acaulescent, with thick fleshy roots, forming a short rootstock, from which dense tufts of graceful erectly spreading foliage is produced.Leavesdistichous, erecto-patent, elongate, linear lorate, acute, channeled, three-fourths of an inch broad, dark green.Scapestout, green, having just beneath the inflorescence two or three loosely sheathing leafy bracts;racemesix to eight-flowered, decurved, terminal, each flower having a short ovate acute bract at the base of its pale green pedicel.Flowersabout two and a half inches broad, and as much in depth, ivory-white, with a pleasant scent of almonds;sepalslinear-oblong, somewhat broader upwards, acute, half an inch broad, the dorsal one incurved, and arching forwards over the lip, the lateral ones two inches long, somewhat widened at the base and apex, the rounded bases united with the base of the lip, to form a short blunt chin;petalslinear, about as long as the sepals, but distinctly narrower, one-fourth of an inch wide, acute;lipthree-lobed, saccate at the base, the side lobes folded close to the column, the front edge produced rounded and slightly spreading, spotted, as is also the mouth of the tube, with pale magenta, the front lobe hairy, half an inch long, with a narrowed claw-like base, ovate, with a wavy margin, white, with a central straight oblong, and lateral divergent blotches of magenta, the central one continued into a yellowish streak, which is produced backwards to the deeper yellow crest of two abruptly elevated papillose plates, which are further continued into two yellow lines.Columnwhite, one and a half inch long, curved, winged.Cymbidium affine,Griffith,Notulæ ad Platas Asiaticas, iii., 336, t. 291; according toLindley,Contributions to the Orchidology of India, inJournal of Linnean Society, iii., 28;Reichenbach fil., inGardeners’ Chronicle,N.S., x., 810;Floral Magazine, t. 346.Cymbidium micromesum,Lindley,Journal of Linnean Society, iii., 29,fide Reichenbach.

Cymbidium affine,Griffith,Notulæ ad Platas Asiaticas, iii., 336, t. 291; according toLindley,Contributions to the Orchidology of India, inJournal of Linnean Society, iii., 28;Reichenbach fil., inGardeners’ Chronicle,N.S., x., 810;Floral Magazine, t. 346.

Cymbidium micromesum,Lindley,Journal of Linnean Society, iii., 29,fide Reichenbach.

Cymbidium, though a small genus of Orchids, contains within its limits some beautiful species, varying considerably in colour; indeed, most of them are worth growing. That which we now illustrate is a very chaste and pretty species, and is still quite rare; very few plants having come under our notice. We received the grand specimen here figured from the fine collection of G. Nevile Wyatt, Esq., Lake House, Cheltenham, who takes a great interest in the cultivation of good Orchids, and from whom at different times we have received some fine cut specimens, especially of the forms ofCattleya Trianæ.

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