Cymbidium affineis an evergreen species, which in its growth resemblesC. MastersiiandC. eburneum, but the leaves are somewhat broader. It has dark green graceful foliage, and tall, erect scapes, from which the drooping flower racemes depend. The sepals and petals are of an ivory white, and the lip is white, spotted with dull magenta-purple. The plant blooms during the autumn months, and continues in flower for several weeks if the blossoms are kept dry. It will be found to be a most useful plant for decorative purposes, as its blossoms are so beautifully developed along with its graceful green foliage.
This class of plants is well cultivated by Mr. Simcoe, the gardener at Lake House, who grows them as we do, in pots, with good drainage. We have found them to do best in good fibrous loam, as they have thick fleshy roots to support, and experience has convinced us that they require something stronger than peat to feed upon, and consequently we have substituted loam for peat, but it must have some charcoal mixed with it so that the soil may be kept open, which is quite essential for the plants; they require a good supply of water in the growing season, and when the soil is kept porous and open the water passes off readily, and does not stagnate, which is deleterious to all plants. When the growth is completed, less water will suffice, but just enough should be supplied to keep the soil damp, for their thick fleshy roots always require to be in a fresh plump condition, and in a state of growth.
We find theseCymbidiumsthrive well in the Cattleya house, kept as fully exposed to the light as possible, but shaded from the sun, for if in the warm summer months the sun is allowed to shine upon them their foliage is apt to sustain injury. When the sun is on the decline it will do them no harm, and the early morning sun will be beneficial to them; the foliage must, however, never be allowed to be wet when the sun comes upon the plants, or it will most probably become spotted.
The Cattleyas at Downside(continued fromplate 134).—The Cattleya house at Downside, when we saw it a few weeks ego, presented a most magnificent picture, there being at the time several hundred expanded flowers ofC. Trianæ, distributed over the whole length of a house one hundred feet long, and showing a variety of colouring, which thus displayed amongst the green foliage was truly marvellous. This collection comprises some of the best kinds in cultivation. It would take too much space to describe them here, but we hope to illustrate some of the most striking among them in our subsequent volumes.
PL. 141.DENDROBIUM LINAWIANUM.
PL. 141.DENDROBIUM LINAWIANUM.
Epiphytal.Stemserect, club shaped, somewhat flattened, light green, one to two feet high, retaining the leaves for two years, when mature becoming deeply furrowed and swollen below the nodes, the internodes partially sheathed by the withered bases of the leaves: it is these tumid internodes which give the appearance of a necklace, whence the namemoniliformecame to be applied, though erroneously, to the plant.Leavesdistichous, oblong obtuse, obliquely emarginate, pea-green.Pedunclesfrom the axils of the leaves of the two-year old stems, or from the joints whence the leaves have fallen, two to three flowered, with small acute appressed bracts.Flowersbright coloured and pleasing, three inches across;sepalsoblong acute, venose, their base produced into a blunt striated spur, white below and of a bright rosy pink in the upper half;petalsovate, of the same colour as the sepals;lipovate, cucullate, reflexed, obscurely three-lobed, attenuated at the base, and serrulate on the margin, with an elevated pubescent crest along the disk, white below, having two crimson spots about the centre, the apical portion wholly rich magenta-crimson.Columnshort, the lip articulated at the end of its prolonged base.Dendrobium Linawianum,Reichenbach fil.MS.;Id.,Walpers’ Annales Botanices Systematicæ, vi., 284.Dendrobium moniliforme,Lindley,Botanical Register, t. 1314, nonSwartz;Hooker,Botanical Magazine, t. 4153;Paxton,Magazine of Botany, iii., 77;Maund,Botanist, iv., t. 194;Annales de Gand, 1847, t. 137.
Epiphytal.Stemserect, club shaped, somewhat flattened, light green, one to two feet high, retaining the leaves for two years, when mature becoming deeply furrowed and swollen below the nodes, the internodes partially sheathed by the withered bases of the leaves: it is these tumid internodes which give the appearance of a necklace, whence the namemoniliformecame to be applied, though erroneously, to the plant.Leavesdistichous, oblong obtuse, obliquely emarginate, pea-green.Pedunclesfrom the axils of the leaves of the two-year old stems, or from the joints whence the leaves have fallen, two to three flowered, with small acute appressed bracts.Flowersbright coloured and pleasing, three inches across;sepalsoblong acute, venose, their base produced into a blunt striated spur, white below and of a bright rosy pink in the upper half;petalsovate, of the same colour as the sepals;lipovate, cucullate, reflexed, obscurely three-lobed, attenuated at the base, and serrulate on the margin, with an elevated pubescent crest along the disk, white below, having two crimson spots about the centre, the apical portion wholly rich magenta-crimson.Columnshort, the lip articulated at the end of its prolonged base.
Dendrobium Linawianum,Reichenbach fil.MS.;Id.,Walpers’ Annales Botanices Systematicæ, vi., 284.
Dendrobium moniliforme,Lindley,Botanical Register, t. 1314, nonSwartz;Hooker,Botanical Magazine, t. 4153;Paxton,Magazine of Botany, iii., 77;Maund,Botanist, iv., t. 194;Annales de Gand, 1847, t. 137.
ThisDendrobium Linawianumis a very old inhabitant of our Orchid houses, and a most distinct and beautiful kind; it is better known, however, under the name ofD. moniliforme, which was formerly applied to it in error, but which it will no doubt long retain. Amongst the older race of Orchid cultivators, we used to exhibit it under the name ofD. moniliformeat the Chiswick and Regent’s Park Exhibitions, where it was shown in the form of large specimen plants, and formed one of the prettiest and most distinct looking Orchids in the show. Although amongst the numerous novelties, which have since been introduced, there have been many which produce splendid flowers as regards size, form, and colour, there has been one only that is at all similar to the present species, and that, which Professor Reichenbach has namedD. nobile formosanum, and which is very much likeD. Linawianumboth in its growth and in its flowers, we imported about two years ago from the Island of Formosa. The drawing, of our present subject, was taken from a remarkably fine specimen grown in the collection of G. W. Law-Schofield, Esq., New-Hall-Hey, Rawtenstall, near Manchester; the specimen was about two feet high and as much through, and was one mass of blossoms. Mr. Wise, thegardener, tells us it has flowered in this way for several years; and we may safely say that it is one of the best grown plants that have yet come under our notice.
Dendrobium Linawianumis an evergreen species with flattish club-shaped stems, which are of a light green colour, and remarkable for becoming swollen just beneath the nodes. The leaves are of a pea-green colour, and the flowers are borne on the stems of the second year, in twos or threes at every node. The sepals and petals are white at the base, and bright rosy pink in the upper half, while the lip is white, beautifully tipped with bright magenta-crimson. The flowers are produced during the winter and spring months, and last in perfection for two or three weeks. It may be had in flower much later by retarding the plant after it has finished its growth.
The present is a free-growing species if the plant is in good health. It begins to grow when the flowering is over, and this is the best time for repotting if the plant requires it; but care must be taken not to over pot it, as this is dangerous in some cases, especially if the soil should get into a bad state, for then the roots go rotten, and the plant becomes sickly. If this should happen, shake away all the soil from the roots and wash them well, afterwards repotting the plant in as small a pot as the roots will allow; the fresh roots will then begin to work about the new soil. Good drainage must always be given; and the plant must be well elevated above the rim of the pot. The most suitable potting material is good rough fibrous peat mixed with lumps of charcoal, which will keep the soil open, and allow the water to pass off freely. Over watering is dangerous, but the plants require to be kept moderately moist at the roots during the growing season. To avoid risk from excess of water, the pots should be three parts full of drainage material. When the growth is completed, give sufficient water to keep the stems plump until they show signs of flowering; then give a little once or twice a week, the quantity and frequency of the application depending mainly on the nature of the potting material; if it be rough and porous, the plant will require it, and a slight syringing over the soil and among the roots during a warm day, will also be beneficial.
We grow our plants at the cool end of the East Indian house, giving them plenty of light, and no more shade than is necessary to keep the foliage from burning. Light is the grand agent in ripening the stems; and it is thorough ripeness which induces them to make vigorous growth, and to develope their flowers freely.
Propagation is effected by dividing the stems just as they begin to start into growth, leaving two or three old bulbs at the back of the new one. It is the better plan to cut them a short time before they are parted; and this should be done with great care. After dividing, place them each in a small pot, with good drainage, and similar potting material to that previously recommended. They thrive well in sphagnum moss, but we prefer the peat.
Pl. 142.ZYGOPETALUM BURKEI.
Pl. 142.ZYGOPETALUM BURKEI.
Epiphytal.Pseudobulbsclustered, narrow oblong, over two inches long, erect, shining, tetragonal, the surface furrowed, diphyllous.Leaveselongate-lanceolate acuminate, nervose, somewhat leathery in consistence.Scaperadical, pale green, bearing a raceme of four or five flowers, furnished with ovate pale green bracts at the base of the pedicels.Flowersabout two inches across, of a peculiar and distinctive character;sepalsovate-lanceolate, the lateral ones deflexed, bright green, with about seven wavy close-set longitudinal bands of dark umber-brown, the bars having a tendency to break up into lines of spots, wholly green outside;petalsspreading, of the same form and colour as the sepals;lipunguiculate, auricled on both sides in front of the claw, obovate with a broad rounded apex, undulated margin, and furnished behind the disk with a callus or ruff of thirteen crimson plaits or ribs.Columnthick, greenish, galeate, with two projecting linear auricles.Zygopetalum Burkei,Reichenbach fil., inGardeners’ Chronicle,N.S., xx., 684.
Epiphytal.Pseudobulbsclustered, narrow oblong, over two inches long, erect, shining, tetragonal, the surface furrowed, diphyllous.Leaveselongate-lanceolate acuminate, nervose, somewhat leathery in consistence.Scaperadical, pale green, bearing a raceme of four or five flowers, furnished with ovate pale green bracts at the base of the pedicels.Flowersabout two inches across, of a peculiar and distinctive character;sepalsovate-lanceolate, the lateral ones deflexed, bright green, with about seven wavy close-set longitudinal bands of dark umber-brown, the bars having a tendency to break up into lines of spots, wholly green outside;petalsspreading, of the same form and colour as the sepals;lipunguiculate, auricled on both sides in front of the claw, obovate with a broad rounded apex, undulated margin, and furnished behind the disk with a callus or ruff of thirteen crimson plaits or ribs.Columnthick, greenish, galeate, with two projecting linear auricles.
Zygopetalum Burkei,Reichenbach fil., inGardeners’ Chronicle,N.S., xx., 684.
This new species is a very pretty free-blooming plant. It belongs to a genus that is well known to plant growers, and amongst the species of which there are some grand decorative plants; indeed, we generally find some of these plants wherever there is a stove, even if Orchids generally are not professed to be grown.Zygopetalum Mackayi,Z. maxillare, andZ. Gautieri, are the most useful. Of late some new hybrids have been introduced, namely,Z. SedeniandZ. Clayi, which latter will be found figured atPlate 50of our second volume. The species now under notice was introduced by the Messrs. Veitch & Sons, of Chelsea; and in their fine collection it bloomed last November, and was exhibited at South Kensington, gaining a First Class Certificate. It will be found to be a most useful species for general cultivation. We believe Messrs. Veitch’s to be the only plant that has yet flowered in this country.
Zygopetalum Burkeiis a native of Demerara, and was found, it appears, by Sir Robert Schomburgk some forty years since, but had not been introduced until recently sent home by Messrs. Veitch’s collector, Mr. Burke, after whom it is named. It is an evergreen species, with long narrow erect ribbed four-cornered pseudobulbs, and light green foliage; the sepals and petals are green, spotted and barred with brown, and the lip is white, with a crest of crimson stripes on ribs. It blooms during the autumn months and lasts for several weeks in bloom.
The East India house is the most suitable place in which to cultivate it, for most of the species ofZygopetalumlike the temperature therein maintained, and,indeed, they thrive well in any warm stove. This new species will no doubt require as a root medium the same material as the rest of the genus, that is, rough fibrous peat and loam. As they generally have thick fleshy roots, they require an abundant supply of moisture during the growing season; but of course a less liberal supply will suffice after the growth has been completed, when the ripening process comes on.
A Wonderful Dendrobium.—Mr. Blend, gardener to S. K. Mainwaring, Esq., Otley Park, Shrewsbury, has recently flowered a grand specimen of the old and beautifulDendrobium Paxtoni. The plant is in a 15-inch pot, has 74 growths, and produced 123 flower spikes, containing in all 1,216 flowers. The longest growth on the plant measures as much as four feet six inches. This plant is a marvel of cultivation, and we are much pleased to be able to record such a splendid example of Orchid management—B. S. W.
Odontoglossum mulus.—D. Tod, Esq., Eastwood Park, Thorliebank, by Glasgow, has sent in flowers of a fine variety ofOdontoglossum mulus, which bloomed with him last April. The spike, Mr. Tod informs us, bore sixteen flowers, and although this is no great number forO. mulus, which generally comes with a large branched panicle, it must have been a fine sight, as the flowers of Mr. Tod’s variety are not only very large, but very brightly coloured.—B. S. W.
A Gigantic Orchid.—Messrs. F. Sander & Co., of St. Albans, have lately received an enormous specimen ofCattleya Skinneri, certainly the largest mass of an Orchid ever imported. The plant was found growing in the crown of a tree, near Cartago, in Costa Rica, where it was originally planted in a garden belonging to a native, by whom it has since been cultivated, so that although this plant has been found in its native habitat, it is, nevertheless, a cultivated specimen. This plant has long been known to botanical travellers, Skinner, Roezl, and others having seen it in flower. It is stated to have produced, at one time, over 1,500 flowers. Its dimensions are six feet in height by seven feet in diameter; its weight about twelve hundredweight. We understand Mr. Sander is about erecting a house for its reception, where we suppose it will figure as apiece de resistanceof the establishment.—H. W.
Pl. 143.CŒLOGYNE BARBATA.
Pl. 143.CŒLOGYNE BARBATA.
Epiphytal.Pseudobulbsroundish-ovate, plump, two-leaved, with brownish lanceolate bracts at their base.Leavesnarrowed below into a petiole, elliptic-oblong, with a stout costa, plicate, leathery, one and a half-inch wide, and from six inches to a foot long including the petiole, of a lively green.Peduncleserect, rigid, springing from between the leaves, terete, terminating in a dense raceme of flowers, below which are several pairs of abortive imbricated pale brown bracts.Flowerslarge, white, with a peculiar sooty or pitchy stain covering the inner side of the lip, breaking out into fine pencillings towards the margin;sepalswhite, oblong-ovate, broadish at the base, narrowed to the acute point;petalswhite, lanceolate acute, broadest at the base;lipwhite, oblong, three-lobed, saccate at the base, fringed with brown-based hairs on the anterior margins, and bearded with hairs entirely dark brown on the three veins of the disk, forming three shaggy crests, the side lobes tinged with pale flesh colour or pink outside.Columnwhite, deflexed, bilobed at the end.Cœlogyne barbata,Griffith,Itinerary Notes 72;Id.Notulæ ad Plantas Asiaticas, iii., 280, t. 291, fig. 2;Lindley,Folia Orchidacea,art.Cœlogyne, No. 21;Reichenbach fil., inWalpers’ Annales Botanices Systematicæ; vi., 229.
Epiphytal.Pseudobulbsroundish-ovate, plump, two-leaved, with brownish lanceolate bracts at their base.Leavesnarrowed below into a petiole, elliptic-oblong, with a stout costa, plicate, leathery, one and a half-inch wide, and from six inches to a foot long including the petiole, of a lively green.Peduncleserect, rigid, springing from between the leaves, terete, terminating in a dense raceme of flowers, below which are several pairs of abortive imbricated pale brown bracts.Flowerslarge, white, with a peculiar sooty or pitchy stain covering the inner side of the lip, breaking out into fine pencillings towards the margin;sepalswhite, oblong-ovate, broadish at the base, narrowed to the acute point;petalswhite, lanceolate acute, broadest at the base;lipwhite, oblong, three-lobed, saccate at the base, fringed with brown-based hairs on the anterior margins, and bearded with hairs entirely dark brown on the three veins of the disk, forming three shaggy crests, the side lobes tinged with pale flesh colour or pink outside.Columnwhite, deflexed, bilobed at the end.
Cœlogyne barbata,Griffith,Itinerary Notes 72;Id.Notulæ ad Plantas Asiaticas, iii., 280, t. 291, fig. 2;Lindley,Folia Orchidacea,art.Cœlogyne, No. 21;Reichenbach fil., inWalpers’ Annales Botanices Systematicæ; vi., 229.
Of our present subject Dr. Lindley remarks (Folia Orchidacea, l. c.)—“This is, perhaps, the finest of this fine genus. The coriaceous leaves are more than fifteen inches long; the scapes are erect, very stiff, as long as the leaves, and furnished at the apex with an imbricated sheath of bud scales, out of which appears a flexuous raceme four to six inches long, composed of very large blunt deciduous bracts. The flowers are fully two inches and at half in diameter, pure white, except very long hairy fringes which are brown at their base, where they border the lip, and wholly brown where they cover the veins, and form three shaggy crests.” The only figure previously published is a very indifferent one of Griffith’s quoted above.
In theCœlogynewe now bring to the notice of our readers we have one of the most useful species of a comparatively large genus, and one that blooms during the winter months, when white flowers are sought after. It is one, moreover, the flowers of which stand well when cut. We are indebted to Mr. W. Bull, of Chelsea, for the introduction of this species; which is a free bloomer when the bulbs are strong. It is a plant which possesses many good qualities, being a free grower as well as a free bloomer, and having the advantage of bearing fine evergreen foliage; it will thrive well in the cool house with Odontoglots; and besides allthis, it is a cheap plant, so that everyone having a cool house can procure and grow it without much expense or trouble. Our drawing was taken from a specimen which flowered in the Victoria and Paradise Nurseries.
Cœlogyne barbatais, as we have just said, an evergreen plant, with short pseudobulbs and stout foliage, which grows about a foot long, and is of a lively green colour. The sepals and petals are white; the lip is sepia-brown, distinctly bearded with long fringes of coloured hairs, which give it a very distinct and quaint appearance, the fringe and beard contrasting very strongly with the white sepals and petals. It blooms during the autumn months, and continues flowering for a long time, if the flowers are kept free from damp. The plant should, therefore, be placed at the dry end of the house when in bloom, or be removed to a drier house than that in which it has been grown. We find it to grow well in a pot, if allowed perfect drainage, and planted in rough fibrous peat, allowing it a moderate supply of water during the growing season, but reducing the quantity when the plant is at rest.
There were three very interesting New Orchids exhibited by Sir T. Lawrence, Bart, M.P., at the meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society on April 22nd last, all being remarkably distinct and pretty:—
Angræcum fastuosum.—The growth of this species is somewhat similar to that ofA. articulatum, but the leaves are rounder and broader. The spikes are short and drooping, the flowers pure white, sweet-scented, with the lip larger than the petals; very distinct.
Odontoglossum cinnamomeum.—A new species, much resembling the true and rareO. odoratum. The sepals and petals are, however, broader, and the markings are much denser; the lip is yellow, with a large brownish crimson blotch in the centre, and the margin faintly spotted with the same colour, the whole surface being covered with fine downy hairs; very strongly scented.
Dendrobium Harveyanum.—This is a great surprise, being in the way ofDendrobium Brymerianum, but it has this peculiarity, that the petals are fringed in the same way as the lip, thus practically giving to the flower the appearance of three lips instead of one, although somewhat modified. The flowers are smaller than those ofD. Brymerianum, but the plant resembles it in growth; and, indeed, it was imported with that species, so that possibly it may be a sport from it, which has become fixed. This plant has been named in honour of E. Harvey, Esq., Riversdale Road, Aigburth, Liverpool, in whose collection it first bloomed.—H. W.
Pl. 144.CATTLEYA LABIATA PERCIVALIANA.
Pl. 144.CATTLEYA LABIATA PERCIVALIANA.
Epiphytal.Stemserect, club-shaped, becoming furrowed in age, nearly a foot in height, monophyllous, evergreen.Leavesoblong-obtuse, leathery, dark green.Scapetwo-flowered, issuing from an oblong sheath.Flowersabout five inches across, exceedingly handsome, the lip being very richly coloured;sepalslinear-lanceolate, entire, the dorsal one recurved, of a soft pale magenta-rose;petalsmuch larger and longer, broadly ovate-obtuse, the margin slightly wavy, scarcely denticulate, about two and a quarter inches broad, of the same pale rosy hue as the sepals, the mid-rib strongly developed towards the base;lipcomparatively small, but intensely rich in colour, bluntly keeled at the back towards the base, plane for about half its length, with the margins closely folded over the column, rosy at the edge, strongly flushed with crimson and veined with golden yellow; the front lobe roundish-oblong, one and a half inch wide, its edges meeting over the throat, the margin being finely but neatly frilled, as also are the sides of the broadly-rounded deeply-emarginate apex; the colour in the expanded portion is a very rich velvety crimson in the central area, passing near the front edge to a band one-fourth of an inch wide of the pale rose of the petals, and continued narrower along the sides, the disk and the sides of the tubulose basal portion flushed with maroon-crimson, everywhere richly veined with deep yellow, giving the appearance of bronzy gold, and having two elevated golden ridges extending to the base.Columnthick, clavate, white, with a blunt keel at the back, extending nearly to the apex, which has a small inflexed acute appendage lying between the two blunt lobes of the anther bed.Cattleya labiata Percivaliana,Reichenbach fil., inGardeners’ Chronicle,N.S., xvii., 796.
Epiphytal.Stemserect, club-shaped, becoming furrowed in age, nearly a foot in height, monophyllous, evergreen.Leavesoblong-obtuse, leathery, dark green.Scapetwo-flowered, issuing from an oblong sheath.Flowersabout five inches across, exceedingly handsome, the lip being very richly coloured;sepalslinear-lanceolate, entire, the dorsal one recurved, of a soft pale magenta-rose;petalsmuch larger and longer, broadly ovate-obtuse, the margin slightly wavy, scarcely denticulate, about two and a quarter inches broad, of the same pale rosy hue as the sepals, the mid-rib strongly developed towards the base;lipcomparatively small, but intensely rich in colour, bluntly keeled at the back towards the base, plane for about half its length, with the margins closely folded over the column, rosy at the edge, strongly flushed with crimson and veined with golden yellow; the front lobe roundish-oblong, one and a half inch wide, its edges meeting over the throat, the margin being finely but neatly frilled, as also are the sides of the broadly-rounded deeply-emarginate apex; the colour in the expanded portion is a very rich velvety crimson in the central area, passing near the front edge to a band one-fourth of an inch wide of the pale rose of the petals, and continued narrower along the sides, the disk and the sides of the tubulose basal portion flushed with maroon-crimson, everywhere richly veined with deep yellow, giving the appearance of bronzy gold, and having two elevated golden ridges extending to the base.Columnthick, clavate, white, with a blunt keel at the back, extending nearly to the apex, which has a small inflexed acute appendage lying between the two blunt lobes of the anther bed.
Cattleya labiata Percivaliana,Reichenbach fil., inGardeners’ Chronicle,N.S., xvii., 796.
There has been much controversy of late respecting this beautifulCattleya, the true character of the flowers of which will be seen at once from our Plate, our artist having produced a very faithful representation of the richly-coloured blossoms. We have seen the flowers of two successive seasons from the very plant from which our drawing was taken, and have noted that they keep true to character as regards colour, and that in the second year the flowers were larger than in the first, which may be accounted for by the plant having become stronger and better established, the blossoms partaking of the general improvement. It must not, however, be expected that every purchaser will obtain a plant of the some character as that represented in our Plate, as we have seen but few that have proved to be equal to the one we figure. There is an abundant supply of plants imported asC. Percivaliana, but they vary greatly in merit—more so in this than in any otherCattleyathat has come under our notice. Many of the species ofCattleyayieldvariety both as to the colour and size of their blossoms, though they are generally all good enough to cultivate or to use as decorative plants; but in this particular species or subspecies there are many that prove to be worthless, and unfortunately no one can tell whether individual plants will be good or had until the flowers expand. The good ones are really valuable, for there is no otherCattleyain which the lip and throat are so richly coloured; even in the small-flowered forms there is a portion of this rich colouration to be found on the lip.
Mr. Sander, the importer, has been no doubt deceived, and has suffered great loss through importing a large quantity of plants, of which many have had to be destroyed owing to their not being worth cultivating, since the bad forms cost as much to import as the good ones; while the collectors, when they do not see them in bloom, do not suspect that such inferior forms can exist amongst the good ones. We have seen other fine varieties, but none better than the one we have illustrated, and which we received from the superb collection of R. P. Percival, Esq., of Birkdale, Southport, after whom it is named. We received the flowers two years before we ventured to submit the drawing to our readers, and to vouch for its accuracy. We trust there may prove to be enough of the better forms imported to supply all who may desire to possess the plant in its true character.
Cattleya labiata Percivalianais, likelabiataitself, an evergreen plant, with clavate stems, ten inches in height, bearing dark green foliage, much resembling that ofC. Mossiæ. It is a plant of compact-growing habit, having the sepals and petals suffused with a delicate magenta-rose colour, while the lip is of an intense magenta, marginated broadly with pale rosy purple, the throat being deep orange, veined with brownish purple; the flowers have a most peculiar odour, similar to that ofLælia autumnalis, by which they can be at once identified. ThisCattleyablooms during the winter months, at the same time asC. Trianæ, and lasts in bloom for two or three weeks.
Mr. Beddoes, the gardener at Birkdale, grows this plant in the same house withCattleya Trianæ, of which Mr. Percival has a remarkably fine collection. The house in which they are grown, is a good-sized one, and is so built and glazed that there is plenty of light admitted. It is also a well ventilated structure, so that plenty of water may be used about the house in their growing season, when the temperature is right both inside and outside the house. This a most important item in the successful cultivation of Orchids, as well as of other plants. Mr. Percival has evidently studied this point, and good results have followed, as will have been seen by those who have had the pleasure of visiting his collection, while those who have not seen it should try to do so, and judge for themselves. We find rough fibrous peat to suit this plant, which must have sufficient drainage, and must be grown fully exposed to light at all times. Mr. Sander informs us that the plants are found growing on rocks in the full sun, so that they are likely to require an abundance of light and a good season of rest.
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