The genus _Phalænopsis_ belongs to the tribe _Vandeæ_, which is
distinguished amongst those with waxy pollen-masses, by having these
attached to a distinct caudicle, united to a deciduous stigmatic gland.
It no doubt comprises several of our finest Orchids, which are prized no
less on account of the graceful development of their inflorescence than
for the attractive white blossoms of the more familiar species. Our
drawing of the charming _Phalænopsis amabilis Dayana_ here figured, was
taken from a fine specimen in the collection of W. Lee, Esq., of
Downside, Leatherhead, who was kind enough to allow us to publish an
illustration of it. The variety is very rare; indeed, we believe this is
the only specimen known to be in cultivation in this country. It was
named in compliment to John Day, Esq., of Tottenham, from whose
collection it was obtained by Mr. Lee. From the markings about the base
of the lip it will be seen to be very distinct, though it is no doubt a
form of _P. amabilis_, with which it agrees in foliage and in the
general character of the flowers, but differs in the distinct markings
just referred to. The plant grows to about the same size as _P.
amabilis_.
There is at Downside a grand collection of _Phalænopsids_, which are
especially well managed by Mr. Woolford, the gardener. They are great
favourites with Mr. Lee, and he has built a house to meet their special
wants. This is undoubtedly a good plan to adopt where there is such a
fine and comprehensive set of plants as are to be found in this
establishment, since they require different treatment to most other
Orchids. They have thick fleshy leaves, and the stems of the plant are
also fleshy, while, unlike many Orchids, they have no thick pseudobulbs
from which to derive support; hence it follows that they require more
moisture than many others. We do not, however, agree with giving them so
much as we often see supplied. One great advantage of having a separate
house for them is that their individual treatment and wants can be more
carefully studied and more exactly met.
We have seen _Phalænopsids_ grown well amongst other East Indian
Orchids. For instance, we exhibited a plant so grown of _Phalænopsis
grandiflora_ for ten successive years at the Chiswick and Regent’s Park
Exhibitions, and at several shows during each year, and it generally
bore from sixty to seventy blossoms. This was the variety imported from
Java, which we consider the best, as it produces more flowers than the
variety from Borneo. We see that growers now-a-days are obliged to put
several plants together in order to make a specimen fit for exhibition.
There were others who about that time also exhibited these large plants,
and, amongst them Mr. Kinghorn showed at Chiswick a wonderful specimen,
bearing the best flower-spike we have ever seen.
_Phalænopsis amabilis Dayana_ requires the same treatment as _P.
grandiflora_ and _P. amabilis_, and will do either in a pot, basket, or
pan, suspended from the roof. It will also thrive on the side stages,
but in this case requires to be elevated so that the roots can hang
free, for they are abundant rooting plants. If suspended from the roof
the plants have more room to throw out their thick fleshy roots, and in
this way they approach nearer to the manner in which they grow in their
native habitats, for they are found on the branches and stems of trees,
where they obtain a free circulation of air. When thus suspended they
get without restraint the fresh air that circulates through the house.
They can also be cultivated on blocks, but under these circumstances
they will require to be more freely supplied with moisture. These are
plants that like plenty of light, but they must be shielded from the sun
by shading. The best material to grow them in is sphagnum moss, with
good drainage, and they require to be kept moist all the year round. In
warm weather they of course require more than in winter, when just a
sufficient quantity to keep the moss in a moist condition will be all
that they will need. It is imperative never to allow water to reach the
heart of the plant, for that will sometimes induce it to rot, and will
often cause the leaves to go spotted.
The plants must, of necessity, be kept free from insects. Sometimes the
thrips will attack them, but this should be cleaned off. To be
thoroughly successful with Orchids they require constant watching.
Cockroaches are a great pest to all those that throw out thick fleshy
roots, which they injure by gnawing them off, thereby weakening the
constitution of the plant. J. S. Bockett, Esq., of Stamford Hill, has
one of the finest grown collections of _Phalænopsis_ we have ever seen,
but this, of course, has been in process of formation for years, and the
plants have become large established specimens.
[Illustration: PL. 12.
ONCIDIUM GARDNERI.]
ONCIDIUM GARDNERI.
[Plate 12.]
Native of the Organ Mountains of Brazil.
Epiphytal. _Pseudobulbs_ oblong-ovate, furrowed, about two inches in
height, dark green, purplish beneath. _Leaves_ oblong-lanceolate,
acute, coriaceous, about six inches long, growing two together from
the apex of the pseudobulbs. _Scape_ one and a half foot high,
including the panicle of handsome flowers, lateral, that is, springing
from the base of the pseudobulbs. _Flowers_ showy, of medium size,
deliciously fragrant; _sepals_ oblong, acute, the lateral ones
semi-connate; _petals_ twice as large as the sepals, roundish in
outline, clawed at the base, the edges undulated, and as well as the
bars across the sepals of a light chestnut or bronzy brown colour with
a narrow margin of pale yellow; _lip_ large, three-lobed, the middle
lobe large, transversely emarginate, bright yellow, with a belt of
confluent parallel oblong chestnut brown blotches just within the
margin, the lateral lobes auriculæform, obsolete, yellow; the crests
of the lip consist of two pairs of tubercles with the intermediate
space warted. _Column_ furnished with dwarf roundish wings.
Oncidium Gardneri, _Lindley_, _London Journal of Botany_, ii., 662;
_Id._ _Folia Orchidacea_, art. _Oncidium_, 19; _Reichenbach fil._, in
_Walpers’ Annales Botanices Systematicæ_, vi. 728.
This charming Orchid is very nearly related to _Oncidium curtum_, _O.
prætextum_, and _O. amictum_. It belongs to an extensive genus of
Vandeous Orchids, many of the species of which are exceedingly beautiful
on account of the brilliancy of their flowers, which are mostly of a
bright yellow colour, often prettily spotted, and generally produced in
graceful spikes or panicles. No collection should be without some of the
best and most ornamental of them. The figure which we now publish
represents a very charming Brazilian species, one of the best forms of
the plant we have seen. Our drawing was made from a specimen in the
select and varied collection of W. Vanner, Esq., of Chislehurst, who was
kind enough to permit our artist to avail himself of it. This collection
occupies several houses which are respectively filled with species
belonging to the different groups or classes, and among which are some
very rare specimens, all well cultivated by Mr. Milford, the gardener,
who, for many years has been a successful grower of Orchids.
_Oncidium Gardneri_ is a compact growing plant, furnished with dark
green pseudobulbs, which are from two to three inches in height. The
foliage is also dark green in colour, and about six inches in length.
The flowers are very freely produced in branching spikes or panicles,
and are generally developed in June and July, lasting for several weeks
in perfection. The sepals and petals are brown, narrowly margined with
pale yellow. The lip is large, of a bright golden-yellow colour,
margined with bright brown oblong parallel blotches. The flowers,
moreover, are deliciously scented. There are many varieties of this
plant, all of which are worth growing, since they take up but little
space, and when grown in quantity, produce a good effect. We saw about
fifty spikes of the different varieties, some in bloom, and others
showing, in the collection of C. G. Hill, Esq., of Arnot Hill, near
Nottingham, and we shall not soon forget the effect produced, as the
group of plants appeared to be one mass of bloom. By cultivating plants
of this character space may be economised, since they grow as freely on
blocks as in baskets. We also find them to thrive well in small pans
suspended from the roof of the Cattleya-house or in any situation
affording them the same temperature, with very slight shading from the
sun. They are best grown near the glass, so that they may get all the
light possible. As a root medium, a mixture of good sphagnum moss and
fibrous peat suits them best, but the plants must have good drainage,
since they must be kept moist during the growing season, though when at
rest a more limited supply will suffice—just sufficient being given to
keep the bulbs plump, for on the other hand, it is not a plant that
likes to be dried up. The bulbs sometimes shrivel when they flower too
freely; if this is observed do not allow the blossoms to remain too long
on the plants, as they will keep a good time in water when cut from the
plant. Being of a graceful character they are well adapted for the
decoration of drawing-room stands, in which, if intermixed with foliage
and other flowers, they help to produce a very charming effect. Indeed
no flowers are so useful as Orchids for decorative purposes, as they
last so long when cut.
Lælia Dominiana rosea.—This is the finest hybrid _Lælia_ that has come
under our notice. It is the result of a cross between _Cattleya
Dowiana_, and _C. exoniensis_, and the parentage is very evident in the
novel form thus obtained. The lip is like that of _C. Dowiana_, of a
rich purple-crimson, crisped at the margin; the sepals and petals are of
a pale lilac colour. It is a most beautiful _Lælia_, and is named in
honour of Mr. Dominy, who has been most successful in raising seedling
Orchids. There have been many wonderful hybrids brought out by the
Messrs. Veitch and Sons, through the indefatigable exertions of Mr.
Dominy, who has long been known as one of the oldest and most successful
of Orchid growers, and whose name will be kept in remembrance as long as
Orchids are cultivated.—B. S. W.
[Illustration: PL. 13.
DENDROBIUM SUAVISSIMUM.]
DENDROBIUM SUAVISSIMUM.
[Plate 13.]
Native of Burmah.
Epiphytal. _Stems_ (or pseudobulbs) about a foot long,
cuneately-fusiform, tapering below into a longish stalk-like base,
bluntly angulate, bearing one or two pairs of leaves at the top, and
invested below with close ovate membranaceous bracts. _Leaves_
somewhat coriaceous, oblong-ligulate, cuneate at the base and acute at
the apex. _Flower-spikes_ ten to twelve inches long, bracteate at the
base, terminal or nearly terminal, produced freely on the two-year-old
stems. _Flowers_ large, showy, numerous, of a brilliant yellow;
_sepals_ ligulate acute, bright golden yellow; _petals_ broader,
cuneately-oblong, obtusely-acute, of the same colour as the sepals;
_lip_ (labellum) deep bright yellow, marked on the disk with a broad
curved band of rich dark sanguineous purple, almost black, cucullate,
cuneate-oblong at the base, where it is folded over the column,
roundish and emarginate in front, undulate and ciliolate at the
margin, densely asperulous with erect acute papillæ forming a close
crispy covering over the surface.
Dendrobium suavissimum, _Reichenbach fil._, in _Gardeners’ Chronicle_,
N.S., i. 406; v. 756.
This fine Dendrobe, of which Reichenbach remarks:—“I believe it is one
of the best _Dendrobia_ ever imported,” was introduced in 1873 by Mr.
Low, of Clapton, as recorded in the _Gardeners’ Chronicle_ for 1874
(N.S., i. 406), where it was first described. It is again referred to in
the same publication in 1876 (N.S., v. 756), where the German Professor
remarks:—“The species stands indeed, as has been stated before, close to
_Dendrobium chrysotoxum_. The flowers are smaller, the fringe is made by
much shorter papillæ, the chin is shorter, the petals are narrower, the
lip does not expand to an open mass, but its lateral parts keep bent
over the base, thus forming a cucullate body so as to allow the
beautiful dark blackish spot to be seen, and which contrasts so well
with the deep yellow of the flower. There are also a few blackish
streaks on each side of the base of the lip.”
_Dendrobium suavissimum_ is one of the most beautiful species of the
yellow-flowered section of this vast genus, and one that is much admired
and sought after by Orchid growers. The accompanying plate is a good
representation of the plant, and from this it will be seen that it is
one of the most attractive of summer-flowering Orchids. Our sketch was
taken from a specimen exhibited by us during the present year, at the
Royal Botanic Society’s Garden in the Regent’s Park.
Formerly this was a very rare plant, but within the last few years it
has been sent home in considerable quantities by collectors, and it has
in consequence become comparatively cheap. In growth it resembles
_Dendrobium chrysotoxum_, but the flowers are much more showy; in _D.
chrysotoxum_ they are wholly yellow, whereas in this species there is a
large sanguineous purple blotch on the lip, forming a striking contrast
to the rich golden yellow of the sepals and petals; in addition to this
they are sweet-scented. The plant is of free-flowering habit, and when
well-grown produces finely-developed flower-spikes. We have seen as many
as three spikes proceeding from a single stem.
In habit of growth _Dendrobium suavissimum_ is very compact. The stems
or pseudobulbs are about a foot in height, and furnished with one or two
pairs of dark green leaves at the apex. The flower-spikes proceed from
the tops of the two-year-old bulbs, and average from ten to twelve
inches in length. The stems will sometimes produce spikes for several
years in succession. The flowers last from two to three weeks in
perfection if kept from damp.
Like other Dendrobiums, this species is found growing on the trunks and
branches of trees in positions where it gets plenty of light and air.
With us it thrives well grown in a basket suspended near the roof, so as
to obtain all the light and air possible; the bulbs thus become well
matured. The best material for growing it in is sound sweet fibrous
peat, with a good supply of drainage. The plants should be watered
liberally at the roots during the period of growth, which is after they
have done blooming. The temperature that suits them best is that of the
East India-house while they are making their growth; but when the growth
is completed very little water should be given them until they begin to
show their spikes in spring, when it may be increased, as it will assist
them to produce stronger spikes. The plant is propagated by division;
two or more old bulbs should be taken off with a young growth in front.
Insects should be well looked after, and when found be speedily removed.
[Illustration: PL. 14.
TRICHOPILIA SUAVIS ALBA.]
TRICHOPILIA SUAVIS ALBA.
[Plate 14.]
Native of Central America.
Epiphytal, _Pseudobulbs_ roundish-oblong or obcordate, thin, _i.e._,
very much compressed, clustered, monophyllous. _Leaves_ broadly
oblong, acute, leathery in texture, almost sessile, of a pale green
colour. _Scapes_ radical, two to four-flowered, pendent. _Flowers_
large, showy, and fragrant, each emerging from the axil of a thin
ovate bract. _Sepals_ linear-lanceolate, acute, somewhat undulated,
spreading, and, as well as the similarly-formed _petals_, of a pure
white colour; _lip_ large, rolled up closely at the base, suddenly
expanded upwards so as to become funnel-shaped, and then spread out
into a large oblique limb, which is three-lobed, with the edges wavy
and crisped, the middle lobe larger, slightly deflexed and emarginate
or bilobed: _Column_ elongate, terete, bearing at the back of the
anther a hood of three fimbriated lobes.
Trichopilia suavis, _Lindley_, in _Paxton’s Flower Garden_, i. 44; 53,
t. 11; _Hooker_, _Botanical Magazine_, t. 4654; _Van Houtte_, _Flore
des Serres_, viii. 761; _Lemaire_, _Jardin Fleuriste_, iii. 277;
_Reichenbach fil._, in _Walpers’ Annales Botanices Systematicæ_, iii.
553, et vi. 681.
_Var._ ALBA: flowers pure white, the lip with a yellow blotch in the
throat.