This plant belongs to a small genus of Vandeous Orchids, some of the
species of which are exceedingly pretty, and well worthy of a place in
every collection. Dr. Lindley calls _Trichopilia suavis_ “a delicious
Orchid,” and says that “the flowers emit the most delicate odour of
hawthorn.” The fragrant and richly spotted flowers make it a great
favourite amongst growers, and no doubt it is one of the best and most
showy of the species yet known. The variety _alba_, of which we have now
the pleasure of publishing an authentic figure, the first which has
appeared, is new to cultivation, and is also extremely rare. Our plate
was prepared from a specimen which flowered in the fine collection of
Dr. G. Boddaert, of Ghent, Belgium, who kindly allowed us to have a
drawing made from it.
_Trichopilia suavis alba_ was imported, with the typical _T. suavis_,
and is a compact evergreen plant, with foliage attaining from six to ten
inches in height, and three inches in width, and of a light green
colour. The pendent flower-scapes are produced from the base of the
bulbs, and bear two or three, or sometimes four, flowers, which thus
hang over the sides of the pan or basket in which the plant is
cultivated. When suspended from the roof of the house they thus have a
very charming appearance. The sepals and petals are pure white; the lip
is white, with a pale yellow stain in the throat. The plant blossoms
during May and June, and lasts about two weeks in perfection. We have
flowered this variety during the present year, and it was very much
admired by every one who saw it.
_Trichopilia suavis alba_ was exhibited by J. S. Bockett, Esq., of
Stamford Hill, at one of the meetings of the Royal Horticultural
Society, and was awarded a First Class Certificate of Merit.
The Cattleya house is the best position for the plant, but it should be
placed at the coolest end. It will flourish either in a basket or pot,
in a compost of fibrous peat, with good drainage, but it must be well
elevated above the rim, so that the flowers may hang down according to
their natural habit. Propagation is effected by division of the plant
after blooming; two or three bulbs should be severed from the original
plant, or more if a larger specimen is desired.
Aërides odoratum majus.—This fine old Orchid was shown by Mrs. Arbuthnot
at the Chislehurst Exhibition, on the 16th of July, and in this case it
was a most wonderful example of good cultivation. The plant was one mass
of its beautiful racemes of flowers, about fifty in number, many of them
measuring fifteen inches in length. The flowers are white, tipped with
pink, and are produced in long graceful spikes which overhang the
foliage and produce a most charming effect. The perfume given off by
this variety is very delightful, and was in this case most refreshing to
those who passed by, many of whom wondered where the pleasant odour came
from, as it was shown among the stove and greenhouse plants. This plant
was two and a half feet in diameter, and three feet in height. Great
credit is due to Mr. Mitchell, the gardener, for his skill in
cultivating so fine a specimen. We often wonder why this plant is not
more popular at our exhibitions, especially as it is easy to grow,
taking very few years to make a good specimen, and being purchasable in
small sizes for a few shillings. When not in bloom, it is, moreover, an
attractive plant.—B. S. W.
[Illustration: PL. 15.
VANDA PARISHII.]
VANDA PARISHII.
[Plate 15.]
Native of Moulmein.
Epiphytal. _Plant_ evergreen, dwarf. _Stem_ a span high,
stout-growing, densely leafy. _Leaves_ distichous, broadly
ligulate-obtuse, with an unequal bilobed apex, very stout and fleshy
in texture. _Scape_ stiff, erect, bearing a spike of several showy
blossoms. _Flowers_ large, distinct in character, prettily spotted;
_sepals_ and _petals_ cuneate-oblong, acute, somewhat undulated, of a
greenish-yellow colour, decorated with numerous round reddish-brown
spots, white inside at the base; _lip_ furnished with linear-ligulate
auricles at the base, and produced into a short gibbous spur, white,
with a pair of orange-coloured stripes, the larger anterior part
violaceous, rhomboid, gibbous below the apex, with a keel along the
median line, and a violet-coloured conical callus at the base.
_Column_ white, the caudicle ligulate, the glandule triangular.
Vanda Parishii, _Reichenbach fil._, in _Gardeners’ Chronicle_, 1870,
890.
This glorious thing, as Professor Reichenbach calls it, was first
discovered by the Rev. C. Parish in 1862, and then lost sight of, but
was rediscovered in 1870, from which discovery, we presume, the first
plants were obtained by Mr. S. Low, of the Clapton Nursery; since then
we have received living plants of it on several occasions, and the plant
now figured was from one of these importations. It is a small and
distinct growing _Vanda_, and is well worthy of a place in every
collection on account of its compact habit of growth, which resembles
that of a _Phalænopsis_. The Vandas are for the most part large growers,
but, as will be seen from the accompanying figure, _Vanda Parishii_ is
an exception to the general rule. Our plate was prepared from a plant
which bloomed in the collection of the Right Hon. J. Chamberlain, M.P.,
of Birmingham—a gentleman who is making a grand collection of Orchids,
and is a great admirer of them. The plant above referred to was a
well-grown specimen, bearing a good spike of flowers.
The leaves are about eight inches in length by four inches in breadth,
and of a lively green colour; and the flower-spike reaches from ten to
twelve inches in length, the flowers being as large as those of _Vanda
gigantea_ and _V. lissochiloides_. The sepals and petals are
greenish-yellow, freely spotted with reddish-brown; the base of the lip,
which is keeled, is white, the front lobe violet-mauve, faintly margined
with white. Altogether it is a very distinct species, and is very
strongly scented, with a peculiar odour; it lasts for several weeks in
bloom.
_Vanda Parishii_ requires about the same treatment as other Vandas, and
should be grown in the East India-house, in sphagnum moss, with plenty
of drainage. It would appear never to attain more than about a foot in
height, being unusually short and stout in growth. It is best grown in a
basket or pot suspended from the roof, and should be well shaded from
the sun. It revels in a good supply of water during the growing period,
which extends over summer and autumn; but in winter only just sufficient
water should be given to keep the moss damp, for if allowed to become
over-dry it will shrivel, having no pseudobulbs to support it. Thrips
and scale are sometimes found on this plant; these should be diligently
searched for and destroyed, as the leaves, being of a fleshy nature,
would otherwise soon become disfigured by the onslaught of these pests.
Orchids at Arnot Hill.—We append a few notes on the Orchids at Arnot
Hill, near Nottingham, the residence of C. G. Hill, Esq., a gentleman
who is forming a fine collection of these plants, and one which we have
no doubt will in time take a foremost rank, as Mr. Hill is specially
fond of good Orchids, and intends to grow only those which are most
worthy of cultivation. There is a fine range of houses built to suit the
cool, the intermediate, and the East Indian kinds, and the arrangements
are all that can be desired, having been made the chief study. Of the
genus _Odontoglossum_, we found at the time of our visit, some few
months since, there was a large collection, including some hundreds of
plants of _O. Alexandræ_ and _O. Pescatorei_, amongst which were many
fine specimens. There was also a fine lot of Masdevallias; the
Bull’s-blood variety of _M. Harryana_ was in splendid condition, and
there were many other fine varieties. We noticed a house full of
_Oncidium Gardneri_ mixed with _O. prætextum_ and _O. curtum_, the
plants bearing about fifty spikes, the greater part of which were in
bloom, the flowers deliciously fragrant, and presenting a beautiful
picture, as the bright yellow lip with its definite margin of brown
shows off the flowers to great advantage. In the Cattleya house there
were many fine plants which were rooting and growing well. We noticed a
good specimen plant of the new _Cattleya Trianæ Russelliana_, also of
the rare _C. exoniensis_, of the beautiful _C. Reineckiana_, of the best
variety of _C. labiata_ showing flower-sheaths, and many others.
_Oncidium incurvum_ was beautifully in bloom, and with its snow-white
lip had a very pretty appearance.
In the next house we noticed three good plants of _Dendrochilum
filiforme_ finely in flower; one plant had fifty of its graceful spikes
of yellow blossoms hanging among the foliage, and the other two plants
were equally good.
In the adjoining house there were many fine East Indian Orchids. We
noticed four plants of the rare _Aërides Schröderi_, and a wonderful
variety of _A. Lobbii_ in full bloom, with a fine branching spike—one of
the best we have seen, and one of which we hope at some future time to
furnish our readers with a figure. There was a good collection of East
Indian Orchids being got together, and from the appearance and health of
the young stock they seemed likely to thrive well. We were glad to see
this class of Orchids so well appreciated, as there can be no doubt that
the East Indian kinds are among the richest and finest of the family,
and they will flourish in a lower temperature than most people
imagine.—B. S. W.
[Illustration: PL. 16.
CATTELYA GUTTATA LEOPOLDII.]
CATTLEYA GUTTATA LEOPOLDII.
[Plate 16.]
Native of the Island of St. Catherine, Brazil.
Epiphytal. _Stems_ (or pseudobulbs) elongate, fusiform, many-jointed,
two to two and a half feet in height, bearing a pair of leaves at the
apex. _Leaves_ broadly-oblong obtuse, dark green, coriaceous. _Scape_
terminal, issuing from a short ovate acute ancipitous spathe developed
between the leaves on the more vigorous stems, and bearing a
many-flowered raceme, with small lance-shaped bracts. _Flowers_
fleshy, in dense racemes, “sometimes as large as a man’s head;”
_sepals_ cuneate-oblong acute, the lateral ones subfalcate, of a light
cinnamon or orange-tinted brown, spotted thickly with crimson;
_petals_ similar in form and colour, but rather broader and wavy;
_lip_ three-lobed, the lateral lobes semi-ovate, acute in front,
rolled over the column, the middle lobe cuneate-flabellate and
bilobed, of a bright magenta colour, the disk tuberculate with lines
of elevated papillae.
Cattleya guttata Leopoldii, _Linden and Reichenbach fil._,
_Pescatorea_, t. 43.
Cattleya Leopoldii, _Hort. Verschaffelt_; _Lemaire_, _Illustration
Horticole_, ii. 69.
Epidendrum elatius, var., _Reichenbach fil._, _MSS._; _Id._, in
_Walpers’ Annales Botanices Systematicæ_, vi. 319.
This noble plant is remarkable for the large mass of richly-coloured
flagrant blossoms which terminates the flower-scape, and is very much
superior to the old _Cattleya guttata_, which was introduced to our
collections some fifty years ago, and of which a fine figure was
published in the _Transactions of the Horticultural Society_, ix. t. 8.
The variety _Leopoldii_ differs from the type, in its much larger
flowers, and in the rich olive or reddish-brown colour of its sepals and
petals, which are freely spotted with dark crimson. _C. guttata
Leopoldii_ is, moreover, of much more recent introduction than the type,
having been imported to the gardens of Belgium by M. Ambroise
Verschaffelt, through his collector, M. Devos, in 1850. It was by him
dedicated to his Majesty the late King of the Belgians. As will be seen
from our illustration, it is a very great improvement on the typical
form. We are indebted to H. Shaw, Esq., of Buxton, for the opportunity
of securing our figure, the plant having flowered in his choice and
valuable collection during the month of August in the present year,
producing a spike of eleven fine flowers, each measuring three inches in
diameter. This must be regarded as a very valuable Orchid, since it
blossoms during the late summer months, when flowers are comparatively
scarce in our Orchid houses; while for exhibition purposes, again, it is
of great value.
The plant now before us is a strong grower, like _Cattleya guttata_, and
sometimes produces as many as thirty flowers in a spike. A plant bearing
a spike of this noble character was exhibited some years ago by Mr.
Page, then gardener to the late W. Leaf, Esq., of Streatham, and was a
most wonderful object. The stems grow from twenty to thirty inches in
height, and are furnished at the apex with a pair of broad leathery
leaves of a dark green colour. It produces its flowers from the top of
the bulb after it has finished its growth. The sepals and petals are of
a lively cinnamon-brown, spotted with rich deep crimson; while the lip
is of a bright magenta, with the basal lobes of a paler rose colour. The
blossoms last some two or three weeks in perfection.
_Cattleya guttata Leopoldii_ requires the same treatment as that
recommended for other Cattleyas under Plates 3 and 6. Being a
tall-growing plant, pot culture will be found to suit it best.
M. Massange’s Orchids.—Château de Baillonville, the country seat of
Mons. D. Massange de Louvrex, is situated in the Ardennes, about 6 miles
from Marche, and some 80 miles from Brussels. The collection of Orchids
at the Château is very large, one of the finest in Belgium. In the house
devoted to East Indian Orchids there are some grand specimens of Vandas,
Aërides, and Saccolabiums. During a visit in July last, we noticed in
bloom a very fine variety of _Vanda tricolor planilabris_, the flowers
of which were very large, with fine broad sepals and petals, the
markings being well defined and the colour bright. Here was also a grand
plant of _V. Cathcartii_, about four feet high, in perfect health.
Cypripediums are, moreover, treated with great success in this house;
indeed, we noticed some plants of _C. caudatum_ with extraordinary
growths upon them, one plant having leaves as much as eighteen inches
long, and quite distinct in the character of its growth, being almost
erect. In the Cattleya house were some fine examples of _Cattleya
labiata_, the true autumn-flowering variety; also _C. Warnerii_ in
abundance, and _C. Mendelii_. _Zygopetalum Gautieri_, the best variety,
with dark blue flowers, was also open. _Cælogyne Massangeana_, had a
spike of twenty-three flowers; this species is a grand subject for
treating as a basket plant, the spikes being of a drooping character; we
have seen it bearing as many as twenty-seven flowers on a spike. There
were, moreover, in the same house, some enormous plants of _Cattleya
Trianæ_, marvels of cultivation, with good specimens of _Lælia elegans_,
_L. anceps_, _L. Perrinii alba_, _L. elegans prasiata_, _L.
Stelzneriana_, _Cattleya Dowiana_, &c., all in perfect health, and doing
well. In the Odontoglossum houses there was not much in flower, but the
plants were looking remarkably well and making enormous bulbs. Here we
noticed the largest plant of _Restrepia antennifera_ we have ever seen;
the plant probably measured as much as eighteen inches across, and had
some hundreds of leaves. Masdevallias were well represented, and there
were some good varieties in flower: amongst others was a grand plant of
_M. macrura_, as well as _M. Houtteana_ and _M. trochilus_, forming good
specimens. We saw a splendid specimen of _Odontoglossum citrosmum
roseum_ with nine flower-spikes, a marvel of good cultivation.
Altogether, we believe, this is the most select collection of Orchids in
Belgium, and great credit is due to Mr. Wilkie, the gardener, for the
way in which he cultivates his plants; his employer, however, spares no
expense in providing the appurtenances necessary to good cultivation.—H.
Williams.
[Illustration: PL. 17.
PESCATOREA KLABOCHORUM.]
PESCATOREA KLABOCHORUM.
[Plate 17.]
Native of Ecuador.
Epiphytal. _Stems_ none or consisting of a short crown or growing
point from which the leaves and stout fibrous roots proceed. _Leaves_
tufted, numerous, imbricated at the base, erect or spreading,
lanceolate, acute, twelve to fifteen inches long, and about two inches
wide, deep green above, paler beneath, thin but firm in texture.
_Flowers_ large and showy, measuring about three inches in diameter,
the peduncles springing from the axils of the lower leaves; _dorsal
sepal_ obovate-oblong, acute, about an inch and a half long, white in
the lower half, and of a velvety chocolate purple in the upper
portion; _lateral sepals_ more distinctly oblong, being less narrowed
at the base, acute, and attached obliquely to the chin of the flower;
_petals_ obovate-oblong, like the dorsal sepal, acute, white, deeply
tipped with chocolate purple; _lip_ distinctly stalked, with a sharply
incurved claw, normally trowel-shaped when spread out, three-lobed,
the lateral lobes prolonged, acute, and incurved so as to meet the
base of the column, the middle lobe obtusely cordate, sulcate, with
the edge recurved so as to bring it to a narrow triangular outline; it
is white, with the whole surface, except the margin, covered with
short purple-tipped papillæ, or ‘styliform processes,’ ranged in
combined lines; on the _disk_ is a large semicircular lamellate ruff
or frill, extending to the base, and consisting of numerous (about 20)
erect folds or lamellæ, which are white below and of a deep rich
purple along the edge of the folds, forming a series of stripes
extending inwards to the base of the lip. _Column_ stoutish, angulate
on both sides at the base, semiterete, dark purple, three-fourths of
an inch long, projected over the basal ruff.
Pecatorea Klabochorum, _Reichenbach fil._, in _Gardeners’ Chronicle_,
N.S. xi., 684; xii., 167; _Paxton’s Flower Garden_, re-issue, t. 21.
Zygopetalum Klabochorum, _Reichenbach fil._, in _Gardeners’
Chronicle_, N.S. xi., 684.
Until quite recently but few species of _Pescatorea_ were known in
cultivation. Latterly, however, several new ones have been introduced
into this country, and Orchid cultivators have now more numerous
opportunities of admiring the beautiful plants which are referred to
this genus.
_Pescatorea Klabochorum_ was introduced from Ecuador, by Franz Klaboch,
a nephew of Herr Roezl, one of the most successful plant collectors of
our time, and is named in commemoration of him and his surviving
brother, also a traveller and collector, The first plants, brought home
some four or five years since, were purchased by Messrs. James Veitch
and Sons, of Chelsea, and were distributed by them; but since then it
has been several times re-introduced, and is now to be found in numerous
collections. Several varieties have been already noticed. It appears to
have been first flowered in 1878 in England, by John Day, Esq., and in
Scotland by J. Gair, Esq., and again in 1879 in the noble collection of
Sir Trevor Lawrence Bart., M.P. The drawing reproduced in our plate was
prepared from a plant which flowered last August in our own collection,
and represents a very fair variety. A fine variety, which bloomed with
W. Cobb, Esq., of Silverdale Lodge, Sydenham, is figured in the revised
edition of _Paxton’s Flower Garden_.
The treatment which we find to suit this plant the best is to place it
in the Cattleya-house at the cool end. It should be potted in a compost
of peat and sphagnum moss, with a few lumps of charcoal added; and a
liberal supply of water should be given during the growing season, this
being gradually decreased as the winter approaches. The plants should be
well elevated above the rim of the pot, so as to allow any superfluous
water to drain away from the crown.
We do not find that noxious insects attack the species of _Pescatorea_
in any great degree. The scale will sometimes take up its abode on the
young growths, but when found this can easily be removed by the use of a
brush or sponge and water.
We saw a fine lot of Pescatoreas and Bolleas in splendid condition at
Falkirk in September last, in the collection of J. Gair, Esq. These
plants are not so easy of cultivation as many Orchids, their treatment
not being generally so well understood; but this was not the case in
this instance, for they were perfect plants, well cultivated, and
blooming freely. We noticed more especially a fine species named in
honour of Mr. Gair, which bears the richest coloured flowers we have
ever seen; of this we hope to give our readers an illustration when it
flowers next year. These plants were grown at the end of a house where a
mixed collection of Orchids, such as Cattleyas, Dendrobiums, Aërides,
and Saccolabiums, were doing well. Being a large house, the plants could
be treated according to their several requirements, whereas in a small
house the varied collection would not be found to do so well.
Vanda cœrulea.—This _Vanda_, whose flowers are of such a distinct and
beautiful colour, is no doubt one of the finest Orchids in cultivation.
We have had the pleasure of seeing the plant we are about to mention for
two successive years blooming in great perfection in the collection of
the Marquis of Lothian, at Newbattle, Dalkeith. The plant, which stands
one foot in height, and is well furnished with good foliage, produced
two spikes of its charming flowers, fourteen on each spike. The sepals
and petals are of a delicate lavender blue colour, barred and veined
with a deeper tint of the same; the lip is small, and of a dark violet
colour. It was a most showy object, and the amount of bloom upon it was
extraordinary, considering the small size of the plant. We have seen
larger specimens, but never one that has pleased us so well. Great
credit is due to Mr. Priest for producing such a plant, which is
increasing in size, and in the number of its flowers every year. There
Is a good collection of Orchids being formed at this place, where the
houses are suitable for their cultivation, and the plants are well
looked after and cared for.—B. S. W.
[Illustration: PL. 18.
BURLINGTONIA CANDIDA.]
BURLINGTONIA CANDIDA.
[Plate 18.]
Native of Demerara.
Epiphytal. _Pseudobulbs_ elliptic-oblong, compressed, monophyllous.
_Leaves_ evergreen, broadish oblong, acute, somewhat channelled.
_Racemes_ pendulous, issuing from the base of the pseudobulbs, three
to five-flowered. _Flowers_ two and a half inches long, white,
semitransparent, with a delightful violet-like fragrance; _sepals_
projected forwards in the plane of the lip, the _dorsal_ one
obovate-oblong, emarginate, the _anterior_ one bifid, linear-oblong,
about half the length of the lip, curved sharply forwards, and
channelled so as to closely invest the spur of the lip; _petals_
parallel with the sepals and lip, obovate, oblique, the base
encircling the column, spreading at the apex; _lip_ parallel with the
column, with a channelled claw, dilated and bilobed in front, cuneate
below, decorated in the centre with a yellow bar, the disk furnished
with four or five yellowish lamellæ on each side, of which the
anterior ones are longer, the spur short, enclosed in the anterior
sepal. _Column_ smooth, slender, clavate, with two fleshy teeth at the
apex.
Burlingtonia candida, _Lindley_, _Botanical Register_, t. 1927; _Id._
_Paxton’s Flower Garden_, i. 158; _Rand’s Orchids_, 179; _Floral
Magazine_, t. 548.
Rodriquezia candida, _Bateman in litteris_; _Reichenbach fil._, in
_Walpers’ Annales Botanices Systematicæ_, vi., 695.
The genus _Burlingtonia_ was dedicated to the amiable and accomplished
Countess of Burlington, and contains a few small-growing but very
beautiful species, which come mostly from Brazil. The plant now under
notice, which was the earliest introduction, and the type of the genus,
was imported from Demerara, in British Guiana, so long since as 1834, by
James Bateman, Esq., now a veteran in the study and cultivation of
Orchids. It is consequently well-known to the growers and collectors of
this class of plants.
As a subject for growing in a basket suspended from the roof, this
species has few, if any, equals. When grown in this way, the pendent
spikes of white flowers hanging over the sides of the basket produce a
charming and distinct appearance.
The plant is compact-growing, and, like all the species of
_Burlingtonia_, is evergreen. The pendent flower-spikes are produced
from the sides of the pseudobulbs, and each bear from four to six
flowers, which are white, marked with yellow in the throat, and have a
slight but pleasant odour of violets.
_Burlingtonia candida_ should be grown in the Cattleya-house, in a
basket or pan, suspended from the roof. Sphagnum moss, with a good
drainage composed of crocks, is the best material for its roots, and the
bulbs should be well elevated above the rim of the pan or basket. This
plant delights in a plentiful supply of water at the roots—in fact, it
should never be allowed to get dry, as it requires but little rest. It
is propagated by division of the pseudobulbs.
Few insects attack this plant. The scale is the most frequent intruder,
and this is easily removed by the use of a sponge and clean water.
Ferguslie House, Paisley.—We have been in the habit of visiting the
gardens of T. Coates, Esq., for many years past, and have always been
surprised to see the Orchids grown by Mr. Thompson, the gardener who has
charge of them. There is no house specially devoted to the cultivation
of this class of plants, but they are grown in different houses
intermixed with stove-flowering plants, foliage plants, and ferns, and
in no instance have we seen East Indian Orchids grown to greater
perfection. We have from time to time witnessed the progress of the
specimens we are about to enumerate—in fact, we have seen them grown on
from quite small plants purchased some ten or twelve years ago, and the
size to which they have attained during this time, viz., up to the first
week in September, 1881, will no doubt astonish some of our readers, and
convince them it is not true that Orchids cannot be cultivated unless
they have houses set apart for their especial benefit. In order to show
the error of this conclusion, we will name a few of the Specimens that
we saw growing on one side of a span-roofed house, with stove plants on
the centre stage. _Aërides suavissimum_, grown from a small plant, is
now a fine specimen three feet high, having four stems, and in perfect
health, the foliage reaching down to the pot; it bore twenty spikes of
its long racemes of flowers, many of them having thirty-seven flowers on
a spike, and was one of the most beautiful objects that have come under
our notice. There is also another plant produced from the same specimen,
bearing twelve spikes of its lovely blossoms, which were in full beauty.
_A. Warnerii_ is a well-grown specimen, having several stems two to
three feet in height, and this blooms freely every year. _A. virens_, is
also a fine plant, with three stems three feet in height. _A. affine_ is
a wonderful specimen of good cultivation; it is generally of slow
growth, but in this case it has not proved so. _A. crispum_ again, is
well cultivated, having two stems nearly three feet high, and perfect,
and there is also a second plant of the same, three feet in height. _A.
Fieldingii_ is a fine specimen. _Vanda tricolor_, a well-furnished
plant, and _V. suavis_ four feet high, with three stems, are both
beautifully grown. A plant of the curious long-tailed _Angræcum
sesquipedale_, from eighteen inches to two feet in height, has four
stems, and is undoubtedly the best grown specimen we have seen.
_Phalænopsis Schilleriana_, a good specimen, with seven of its
beautifully-marked leaves, is growing suspended over the centre table.
There are other choice Orchids, such as _Cypripediums_, _Cœlogynes_, &c.
We also noticed, grown in two other houses, intermixed with various
plants, beautiful specimens of _Lælia Turnerii_, _L. elegans_, _L.
anceps_, _Cattleya Trianæ_, and others. There are also well-grown
examples of _Calanthe Masuca_, of _Dendrobium_, and other good Orchids;
but space will not admit of these being here enumerated.—B. S. W.
[Illustration: PL. 19.
ANGULOA RUCKERII SANGUINEA.]
ANGULOA RUCKERII SANGUINEA.
[Plate 19.]
Native of Colombia.
Epiphytal. _Pseudobulbs_ large, ovate-oblong, four to six inches high,
furrowed when mature. _Leaves_ several, growing from the apex of the
younger pseudobulbs, broadly lanceolate, acute, two to two and a half
feet long and four to six inches broad, strongly ribbed and plaited.
_Flower-scapes_ radical, one-flowered, shorter than the leaves,
clothed below with imbricated sheathing bracts. _Flowers_ large,
fleshy, nearly erect; _sepals_ roundish with an apiculus, strongly
convex, conniving into a semi-globular shape, which with their nearly
erect position gives them a somewhat tulip-like appearance, creamy
yellow outside, and of a deep sanguineous red on the inner surface;
_petals_ similar in form and colour to the sepals; _lip_ clawed,
subconvolute, three-lobed, the lateral lobes broadish and obtuse, the
middle portion hairy, funnel-shaped and two-lipped, the front lobe
tridentate, and with the middle part crimson blotched and barred with
white. _Column_ entire, creamy white, spotted with crimson.
Anguloa Ruckerii sanguinea, _Lindley_ in _Gardeners’ Chronicle_, 1852,
271; _Hooker_, _Botanical Magazine_, t. 5384; _Williams’ Orchid
Growers’ Manual_, ed. iv., 90; ed. v., 92.
The subject of our present illustration is an exceedingly rare plant,
and is met with in only a few collections. In its habit of growth and
general appearance it resembles the type _Anguloa Ruckerii_, but it is
very distinct in colour, and is altogether a more desirable plant, the
flowers being of a much richer colour—a deep rich blood-red spotted with
a darker tint of the same—whereas in the original _A. Ruckerii_ they are
of a fine orange colour spotted with dark brown.
The growth of this plant is very majestic, producing as it does bulbs
four to six inches high, and leaves from eighteen to thirty inches long,
by four to six inches broad. The flowers, which proceed from the base of
the pseudobulb, are erect, tulip-shaped, and of great substance and
size, lasting as long as four weeks in perfection. _A. Ruckerii
sanguinea_ is a very suitable plant for exhibition purposes on account
of the distinct appearance produced by its massive flowers when
intermixed with other Orchids.
The temperature best suited for this plant is that of the cool
Orchid-house. We have found it succeed well in pots in a compost of good
fibrous peat, with plenty of drainage. It requires a good season of
rest, during which period the plant should be kept rather dry until it
begins to show renewed signs of growth, when the supply of water may be
increased. It is propagated by division of the pseudobulbs just before
they start into growth. We are indebted for the opportunity of figuring
this plant to Dr. Boddaert, of Ghent, Belgium, in whose collection it
flowered last July.
A fine figure of the original _Anguloa Ruckerii_ will be found in
_Warner’s Select Orchidaceous Plants_, 2nd series, t. 10; and it is also
figured in the _Botanical Register_, 1846, t. 41; and in _Moore’s
Illustrations of Orchidaceous Plants_, art. Auguloa, plate 3.
Cattleya Dowiana.—We have received a very beautiful flower of this grand
Cattleya, by post, from R. Dodgson, Esq., of Blackburn, in whose fine
collection the plant has been grown. Mr. Osman, the gardener, says, “we
had three imported plants last year, and two of them are now in bloom.”
We were pleased to hear this, as _Cattleya Dowiana_ is considered a
difficult plant to flower, though we have seen many plants blooming this
season. There is no doubt that its cultivation is becoming better
understood. The variety above referred to has a large lip of a most
intense dark purple, striped and reticulated with golden yellow, in a
very prominent manner. The sepals and petals are large, of good
substance, of a bright nankeen colour, and produce a very pleasing and
altogether distinct appearance. This is, undoubtedly, one of the most
distinct and beautiful of all Cattleyas. There is a grand figure of this
species in the 2nd series of _Warner’s Select Orchidaceous Plants_, t.
27.—B. S. W.
Cypripedium Spicerianum.—We were pleased to receive last month a
splendid bloom of this fine variety from J. S. Bockett, Esq., of
Stamford Hill. There is no doubt that it is one of the most distinct
species of the whole genus. The dorsal sepal is erect, curiously curved,
pure white, of a wax-like texture, having a purple streak extending from
the base to the apex; the linear-oblong petals are much crisped on the
edge, and, like the other parts of the flower, are of a bronzy-green
colour, the lip being darker, of a reddish-brown and glossy. It has been
named in honour of H. Spicer, Esq., and was introduced from India some
few years ago. We also received at the same time a fine form of
_Odontoglossum Chestertoni_, and a most distinctly spotted variety of
_O. Alexandræ_, the sepals and petals of which are white, spotted with
reddish-crimson, and the lip white, with a large reddish-brown blotch on
the lower portion.—B. S. W.
[Illustration: PL. 20.
DENDROBIUM AINSWORTHII ROSEUM.[]
DENDROBIUM AINSWORTHII ROSEUM.
[Plate 20.]
A Garden Hybrid.
Epiphytal. _Stems_ (pseudobulbs) clustered, elongate, spreading,
terete, stoutish above, tapering to the base, jointed, the surface
furrowed between the joints. _Leaves_ distichous, linear-oblong,
acute, three-fourths of an inch broad, sheathing the stems at the
base, the sheaths remaining as a membranous investment. _Peduncles_
proceeding from the joints of the stem, slender, two to
three-flowered, the pedicels with small ovate bracts at their base.
_Flowers_ showy, white, with rich amaranth-crimson blotch, measuring
about three inches across; _sepals_ lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate,
spreading, white, tinged with rose colour, as are the larger and
broader oblong-ovate _petals_; _lip_ (labellum) broadly obovate,
cucullate, the basal portion rolled in over the column, the anterior
portion spread out into a broad concave heart-shaped front lobe, which
is undulated at the margin, and nearly covered by a large rich
amaranth-crimson blotch, feathered at the edge, and traversed by
deeper crimson veins, the extreme margin being paler. _Column_ short,
enclosed by the basal portion of the lip.
Dendrobium Ainsworthii, _Moore_ in _Gardeners’ Chronicle_ (1874), N.S.
i. 443, figs. 93, 94; _Id._ N.S. viii., 166, figs. 30, 31, 32;
_Anderson_ in _Gardeners’ Chronicle_, N.S. vii., 751; _Floral
Magazine_, 2 s. t. 196; _Rand’s Orchids_, 242; _Williams’ Orchid
Growers’ Manual_, ed. v., 163.
_Var._ ROSEUM; sepals and petals tinted with magenta rose; lip almost
wholly covered by the large mulberry-crimson feathered blotch.
Dendrobium Ainsworthii _var._ ROSEUM, _Moore_ in _Gardeners’
Chronicle_ (1877), N.S. vii., 655; _Id._ N.S. viii., 166; _Anderson_
in _Gardeners’ Chronicle_, N.S. vii., 750.
The beautiful _Dendrobium Ainsworthii_ is the result of a cross between
_D. nobile_ and _D. heterocarpum_, and was raised by Mr. Mitchell,
gardener to R. F. Ainsworth, Esq., M.D., Of Higher Broughton,
Manchester, after whom it is named. In habit of growth and in general
appearance the plant partakes mostly of the character of _D. nobile_,
while the flowers more closely resemble those of _D. heterocarpum_ in
form, and have in a slight degree the delicious fragrance of those
produced by that species. In _D. Ainsworthii_ the flowers have white
sepals and petals, while the lip is marked by a dense blotch of a rich
amaranth or mulberry-crimson. In the _D. Ainsworthii roseum_ now
figured, the sepals and petals are of a bright rosy-magenta, and the lip
is more fully covered with a richer coloured deep crimson blotch. This
variety is extremely rare, and forms a charming contrast to the white
blossoms of its sister hybrid. The flowers will be found very useful for
cutting, as they last for a considerable time in water.
_Dendrobium Ainsworthii roseum_ requires treatment similar to that given
to _D. nobile_. We have found it to do well in a compost of peat and
sphagnum moss, planted in pans suspended from the roof of the East India
house, in a position where it can get plenty of light and air. During
the growing season this plant enjoys a liberal supply of water, which
after the bulbs have completed their development may be gradually
withheld, and the plant cooled down by placing it in the Cattleya-house,
where it should remain until the time of flowering, which extends from
February to June. Mr. Stevens, of Trentham, grows it very successfully,
suspended in a well-appointed plant stove, where it has abundance of
light.
We remember seeing a splendid plant of _Dendrobium Ainsworthii roseum_
exhibited by Mr. Mitchell, at the Whitsuntide Manchester Show, in May,
1877, in the form of a well furnished specimen two and a half feet in
height and two feet in breadth, the stems being literally smothered with
some hundreds of its beautiful crimson-lipped rosy-tinted flowers.
Referring to this same Manchester Show of 1877, Mr. Anderson, of Meadow
Bank, a well-known Orchid grower, writes of this plant, as follows
(_Gardeners’ Chronicle_, N.S. vii., 750):—“Possibly the gem of the
Exhibition was _Dendrobium Ainsworthii roseum_. This is a most
remarkable seedling partaking of the character of both its parents (_D.
nobile_ and _D. heterocarpum_), and in some respects superior to either.
In point of floriferousness none of its parents can lay claim to such a
quantity of nodes on the deciduous stems, each bearing, or rather
emitting, its quota of flowers. I counted on one stem sixteen short
racemes, each two and three-flowered. The flower itself has the sepals
and petals of _moniliforme_ rather than of _nobile_, white shaded with
an almost imperceptible tint of rose, and tipped distinctly with that
soft pleasing colour. The labellum is flat, like an expanded
_heterocarpum_, reflexing a little towards the centre, with a blotch
covering three-quarters of its surface with deep veined purplish or
rather mulberry-crimson, edged very distinctly with white, and the
extremity slightly tipped with crimson. This I look upon as one of the
greatest gains in hybridization, whether we regard the colour of the
flower, or the general floriferousness of the plant, or its free
although not awkward habit of growth. As an Orchid enthusiast of the
last five and twenty years, I would pronounce it one of the greatest
gains that may be counted up in the whole known Orchid family.”
Altogether this is a most desirable plant, and being easy of
cultivation, and of remarkably free-flowering habit, it should find a
place in every collection.
[Illustration: PL. 21.
AERIDES LOBBII.]
AËRIDES LOBBII.
[Plate 21.]
Native of Moulmein.
Epiphytal. _Stems_ erect, densely foliose, producing the stout aërial
roots from between the leaf bases. _Leaves_ evergreen, close set,
distichous, leathery in texture, loriform, channelled, obliquely
bilobed at the apex, of a deep green colour, obsoletely spotted with
purple, paler on the under surface. _Racemes_ axillary, many-flowered,
long, branched, cylindrical, pendulous. _Flowers_ very numerous,
medium-sized, fragrant, the sepals and petals white, flushed with rosy
purple and spotted with deeper rose-purple, the broader lip with a bar
of rosy purple, darkest in the centre, from base to apex, and bordered
with white; _sepals_ and _petals_ elliptic-oblong, nearly equal,
incurved; _lip_ much larger, clawed, the claw hollowed out and
coadunate with the base of the column, the limb ovate or somewhat
lozenge-shaped, wavy at the margin; _spur_ arcuate, somewhat
compressed laterally. _Column_ short, in form resembling the neck and
beak of a bird, with the front edge produced and folded over the
stigmatic cavity.
Aërides Lobbii, _Hort. Veitch_; _Lemaire_, _Illustration Horticole_,
xv., t. 559; _Williams_, _Orchid Growers’ Manual_, ed. 5, 67; _Rand_,
_Orchids_, 149; _Britten & Gower_, _Orchids for Amateurs_, 177.
This very beautiful brightly-coloured plant was discovered in Moulmein
by Mr. Thomas Lobb, who sent it to the Messrs. Veitch & Sons, of
Chelsea, about the year 1856. It is of remarkably free-flowering and
decorative character, and is no doubt one of the most beautiful species
of this fine genus of Orchids, being valuable alike on account of its
compact-growing habit, and the strikingly ornamental nature of its
inflorescence. There appear to be several varieties of this plant
distributed through our Orchid collections, all of them handsome and
deserving of cultivation, but that which we now illustrate, from a
finely grown, elegantly branching spike, kindly sent to us by C. J.
Hill, Esq., of Nottingham, and referred to in the note published under
Plate 15, is the finest form, and the most freely bloomed specimen we
have met with. We were, in truth, charmed with the size and colour of
the flowers of this plant, when recently inspecting Mr. Hill’s
collection, the long spikes of blossom which were produced by so small a
plant being quite extraordinary.
There is no genus of Orchids that surpasses _Aërides_ in having handsome
evergreen foliage, so that, even when not in blossom, they are
exceedingly pretty objects; while to this it must be added, that their
flower-spikes are beautiful, and their flowers deliciously fragrant;
some, of course, are more handsome than others, but all are worth
growing: in fact, we have never seen an indifferent _Aërides_. They have
every good quality that a plant of this character can possess, and they
are of easy cultivation, so that anyone who has a stove may manage them
successfully. They do not require so much heat as some persons imagine;
the temperature need not be above 65° in the winter; more is, indeed,
required in summer, but even then sun-heat should be fully utilised, and
very little fire-heat should be used.
_Aërides Lobbii_ blooms in June and July, and lasts for three or four
weeks in beauty. The plant, from which our illustration was taken, was
but a foot in height, and the magnificent flowering racemes we saw upon
it were fully two feet six inches in length, with two branches each a
foot in length. The sepals and petals are white, spotted with bright
rose colour; the lip is also of a bright rose colour, slightly veined
and margined with white. The flowers are deliciously fragrant.
The plant being very compact in growth, occupies but little space, so
that anyone having a small vacant place in the Orchid-house or plant
stove, might readily grow it. It will thrive either in a basket
suspended from the roof of the house, or in a pot planted in sphagnum
moss, with good drainage, and a moderate supply of water during the
summer season, while in winter only just sufficient should be given to
keep the moss damp. The plants do not, however, like to be dried up, as
this often causes them to loose their bottom leaves, which is a great
disfigurement. They require plenty of light, but do not like to be
exposed to the burning sunshine. Canvas should therefore be used as a
shading during all the bright sunny portion of the day, but when the sun
has, in some degree, lost its burning heat the blinds may be raised.
Never allow water to get into the hearts of the plants in winter. In
summer a fine rose should be employed to syringe them, which operation
should be done about three o’clock in the afternoon, when the house is
closed.
They should be always kept free from insects. Scale, thrips, and many
other insects are to be reckoned amongst their enemies, and cockroaches,
if allowed to attack them, will often eat away their young roots and
flower-spikes.
[Illustration: PL. 22.
CYPRIPEDIUM LAWRENCIANUM.]
CYPRIPEDIUM LAWRENCEANUM.
[Plate 22.]
Native of Borneo.
Epiphytal. _Stem_ almost none, the leaves springing from the crown of
stout roots. _Leaves_ radical, distichous, coriaceous, broadly oblong,
acute, channelled, a foot long, the upper surface marbled with a dark
green mosaic pattern on a whitish-green ground colour. _Scapes_
solitary in the leaf-axils, stout, pubescent, with an oblong-ovate
acute sheathing bract near the top, from which the flower or flowers
emerge. _Flowers_ very large, in the way of those of _C. barbatum
majus_; _dorsal sepal_ sub-rotund or very broadly-ovate, acute, white,
with numerous (about thirteen) shining curved purplish veins which run
out nearly or quite to the edge, and usually alternate with others
which are short and less boldly marked; _lateral sepals_ connate,
small, oblong, greenish white, with five dark purplish veins; _petals_
fully half an inch wide, divaricate, linear-oblong ciliate, green in
the upper half, with purple margin, stained with dull purple towards
the tip, and with several dark fleshy warts along each margin, the
lower half flushed with pale wine red; _lip_ very large, pouch-shaped,
the lateral horns much developed, purplish brown above, yellowish
green below, with numerous warts on the inside. _Staminode_ of a
wax-like yellowish white, the posterior exterior border split in the
centre, and having five anterior teeth, the middle one much larger
than the rest.
Cypripedium Lawrenceanum, _Reichenbach fil._, in _Gardeners’
Chronicle_, N.S., x., 748; _Veitch and Sons_, _Catalogue of New
Plants_, 1879, p. 9, 23, with figure; _Florist and Pomologist_, 1880,
112, with figure.
The introduction of this splendid species of Lady’s Slipper is one of
the results of Mr. F. W. Burbidge’s visit to Borneo, in the service of
Messrs. Veitch & Sons, of Chelsea. It is a very robust grower, and
flowered for the first time in the autumn of 1878, when it was named by
Professor Reichenbach, in the place above quoted, in honour of Sir
Trevor Lawrence, Bart., M.P., an ardent orchidophilist, and the
possessor of a collection of Orchids of unequalled richness and beauty.
The Cypripediums now form a large family group, and rank amongst the
most useful of Orchids that can be cultivated, since the lasting quality
of their flowers, especially for exhibition and decorative purposes, is
something extraordinary. Many of them in addition possess beautifully
variegated foliage, as in the species we now figure, which has the
leaves most distinctly marked with light and dark green. Our drawing was
taken from a very fine plant in the select collection of H. M. Pollett,
Esq., Fernside, Bickley, a gentleman who is a great lover of Orchids,
and who has the wisdom to secure healthy young plants at the outset, in
order that he may see them grow on into good specimens, such as the one
now before us has done. It gives one great pleasure to see plants so
well cultivated.
_Cypripedium Lawrenceanum_ has, as we have already said, beautifully
marked foliage, so that even when not in blossom, it is found to be an
object of attraction. The upper or dorsal sepals of the flowers were in
this case three inches across, white, striped with plum-purple, which
runs in curved lines from the base nearly to the margin. The petals are
green along the upper edge, suffused with purple towards the end, and
having black wart-like spots, and a fringe of purple hairs along the
margin. The pouch or lip is large, of a reddish brown colour in front,
the under and hinder part yellowish green.
These plants are best grown in pots with peat, and a little charcoal, or
sometimes a little good fibrous loam mixed with the peat. It is a
free-rooting species, and likes to be well elevated above the pot rim,
so that its roots can penetrate readily and work freely in the rough
material. The pot should be half filled with drainage, so that a good
supply of moisture may be given to the roots during the growing season.
The Cattleya or the East India-house seems to suit the plants well, as
in these structures they grow and flower freely.
The flowers are very useful for cutting, as they will keep a long time
in vases if the water is kept sweet and pure.
Baron Schröder’s Orchids.—On the occasion of a recent visit to The Dell,
Staines, the seat of Baron Schröder, we had the good fortune to inspect
the fine collection of Orchids which has been got together. The houses
are well built, after the plans of Mr. Ballantyne, the gardener, and are
placed in good positions; not only have the ventilation and heating
power been well considered, but cleanliness also; indeed the arrangement
of the houses leaves nothing to be desired. The Orchids were, at the
time, looking remarkably well. Entering the Phalænopsis house we noticed
a fine plant in flower of the rare and beautiful _Phalænopsis intermedia
Portei_, a treat which seldom falls to one’s lot, for it is a matter of
regret that this splendid Phalænopsis is so rare in collections: it must
be very scarce in its native habitat or collectors would surely find it
oftener. _Cypripedium Spicerianum_ was also flowering here. Several
different species of _Nepenthes_ were in fine character, growing above a
tank, with their pitchers gracefully drooping over the water, in which
position they seemed to be quite at home. In this house were also some
grand plants of different species of _Saccolabium_, _Cypripedium_, &c.,
all doing well. Leaving the Phalænopsis house the Cattleya house, which
runs at right angles to it, is next entered. Here we noticed a gigantic
specimen of _Cattleya exoniensis_, carrying several spikes of flower;
_Lælia autumnalis atrorubens_, with grand spikes, and flowers of unusual
size and fine colour; and _Dendrobium Wardianum_ in full beauty,
suspended from the roof. The Cattleyas, &c., in this house were in grand
condition, and bid fair to produce some fine spikes next season. In the
Odontoglossum house _Zygopetalum Gautieri_ was flowering well, also
_Miltonia candida_ and _Sophronitis grandiflora_. The East Indian
Orchids were in an especially healthy condition, the collection
containing some grand specimens of _Vanda_, _Aërides_, and
_Saccolabium_.
This collection, which has been lately formed, bids fair to become one
of the finest in the country, Baron Schröder being an enthusiastic lover
of this handsome class of plants, and being also careful to obtain only
the best varieties.—H. W.
[Illustration: PL. 23.
LÆLIA XANTHINA.]
LÆLIA XANTHINA.
[Plate 23.]
Native of Brazil.
Epiphytal. _Pseudobulbs_ clavate fusiform, the narrowed base closely
invested by imbricating bracts, monophyllous. _Leaves_ oblong-lorate,
bluntish, coriaceous, longer than the pseudobulbs, and with them
reaching to about a foot in height. _Scape_ four to six flowered,
issuing from a terminal linear-oblong acute compressed bract or
spathe, three-fourths of an inch wide and about four inches long, and
of a pale green colour. _Flowers_ leathery in texture, three to four
inches across, very distinct in aspect; _sepals_ and _petals_
oblong-ligulate obtuse, undulated, the sides rolled back so that they
appear convex, the petals most so, both of a deep golden yellow, more
or less stained or flushed with olive-green; _lip_ cucullate,
subquadrate, obtusely three-lobed at the apex, yolk of egg colour,
paler at the edge, the front border white, and marked on the disc by a
few crimson-purple veins, which are not raised like crests above the
surface, as in the allied _L. flava_. _Column_ semiterete, clavate,
lobulate at the apex, projected forwards, about as long as the entire
edges of the lip and convergent therewith.
Lælia xanthina, _Lindley_, in _Botanical Magazine_, t. 5144;
_Bateman_, _Second Century of Orchidaceous Plants_, t. 180; _Rand_,
_Orchids_, 303.
Bletia xanthina, _Reichenbach fil._, in _Walpers’ Annales Botanices
Systematicæ_, vi. 425; _Id._ _Xenia Orchidaceæ_, ii. 54.
This interesting and distinct-looking _Lælia_ was introduced from Brazil
many years ago by Messrs. Backhouse & Son, of York, but from the limited
quantity then obtained it has always remained a scarce plant. It appears
to have been imported about 1858, as it was figured in 1859 in the
_Botanical Magazine_, as above quoted. It is, indeed, with great
pleasure that we are enabled to introduce to our readers a figure of so
rare and so distinct a species, for it is seldom seen in collections,
having always been a rare plant. The colour of the flowers is of a
nankeen-yellow, consequently they strongly contrast with those of the
generality of Orchids of this affinity, the usual colours of which are
purple, or rose colour in various tints, or white.
Our plate was prepared from a drawing which was made in September last
from a plant which flowered in our own collection. It will be seen from
the representation, which is a very faithful one, that _Lælia xanthina_
is really a very pretty species, and one that our collectors ought to be
looking after, so that Orchid growers may have it supplied to them at a
more reasonable price than at present.
The plant grows about a foot in height, and is somewhat like _Lælia
purpurata_ in its habit of growth, only it is very much smaller and more
compact and free-blooming. The flowers continue about three weeks in
perfection. It requires the same kind of treatment as other species of
_Lælia_ and _Cattleya_, and thrives best when cultivated in a pot or
basket, with fibrous peat, and good drainage. Like the rest of its class
it requires to be kept as fully exposed to the light as possible, in
order that the pseudobulbs may be thoroughly ripened; and the growth
being thus more completely matured, it will be found to become more
vigorous in character, and enabled to throw up its flower-spikes more
freely. There is a grand specimen of this species, over two feet in
diameter, in the collection of H. Shaw, Esq., Corbar, Buxton.
Lælia autumnalis atrorubens.—It is highly gratifying to find that this
splendid variety of _Lælia autumnalis_, is becoming more plentiful, and
that it keeps up its original character. Many growers were of opinion
when it was first introduced, that the large size of its flowers and the
rich colour of the sepals and petals were due mainly to superior
cultivation and a pure atmosphere, but such is not the case. We have
flowered some plants of it this season in our own establishment at
Holloway, which have been as good, both in regard to the size and colour
of the flowers, as those of any of the plants grown in a purer
atmosphere, away from the smoke of this great City. We have received
from the Right Honorable J. Chamberlain, Esq., M.P., of Birmingham, a
splendidly developed spike of a grand form of this beautiful variety,
which had been grown under the care of his gardener, Mr. Cooper.—B. S.
W.
Odontoglossum vexillarium (Autumn-flowering variety)—A short time back
Mr. W. Bull exhibited at South Kensington a recently imported form of
_Odontoglossum vexillarium_, which had all the appearance of being a
distinct variety, flowering during the autumn months of the year. It is,
however, we think, somewhat premature to regard this autumn-flowering
character as thoroughly established, though there is no doubt the
variety is a distinct one, and remarkably fine in colour. This being the
first time of its flowering, the particular growth shown may have been
influenced by the time at which the plants were started. However, in due
time, and with good cultivation we shall see whether this peculiarity of
flowering towards the end of the year is really a constant character, or
whether it may have resulted from the circumstances above referred
to.—B. S. W.
[Illustration: PL. 23.
MASDEVALLIA HARRYANA CŒRULESCENS.]
MASDEVALLIA HARRYANA CŒRULESCENS.
[Plate 24.]
Native of New Grenada.
Epiphytal. _Stems_ slender, tufted. _Leaves_ evergreen, coriaceous,
ten to twelve inches long, with a nerveless elongate oblong-spathulate
blade, obtuse or somewhat acute at the apex, channelled at the base,
keeled behind, of a very dark green colour, narrowed downwards into
the stout petiole, which is three to four inches long, deeply grooved
in front, and invested at the base by long membranous brownish
sheaths. _Scape_ a foot long or more, brown, covered below with three
or four bluntish sheaths, the upper of which is distant from the
flower and closely appressed. _Flowers_ large, peculiar in form,
richly coloured, the colour varying in different forms, typically of a
brilliant magenta-crimson; _dorsal sepal_ elongate linear from a
triangular base, sub-erect or reflexed; _lateral sepals_ broadly
semiovate, apiculate, connate to below the middle, deflexed, the tips
approximate, all united below into a decurved _tube_, which is yellow
(in the allied _M. Lindeni_ the tube is white); petals small, hidden
within the tube, linear-oblong emarginate, the base auriculate on one
side; _lip_ also small, enclosed, clawed, tongue-shaped, cordate at
the base. _Column_ rather longer than the lip, entire, not winged.
Masdevallia Harryana, _Reichenbach fil._, in _Gardeners’ Chronicle_,
1871, 1421; _Florist & Pomologist_, 1873, 169, with coloured figure;
_Belgique Horticole_, 1873, t. 21; _Flore des Serres_, t. 2250.
Masdevallia Lindeni, _Hooker_, _Botanical Magazine_, _t._ 5990—_fide_
Reichenbach.
Masdevallia Lindeni, _var._ Harryana, _André_, _Illustration
Horticole_, 3 ser., t. 142.
_Var._ CŒRULESCENS: flowers of a rich magenta-crimson, with a
bluish-purple flush or bloom; otherwise as in the type.
Masdevallia Harryana cœrulescens, _Hort._ _plurim._; _Bull_,
_Catalogue of New Plants_, 1877, p. 83.
We ought to be cordially grateful to our plant collectors for
introducing to European gardens so brilliant, varied, and charming a set
of epiphytal plants, as the several showy ornamental, and pleasingly
grotesque species of the genus _Masdevallia_. There are indeed but few
Orchids that possess such bright colours as are found therein. A few
years since we had but two species that were really worth growing,
namely, _M. coccinea_, of an orange-scarlet colour, and _M. tovarensis_,
pure white. Then came _M. Lindeni_, a charming plant with flowers of a
rich magenta-purple colour. _M. Veitchiana_, of which there are some
very fine forms, made a fine contrast with its glowing orange-scarlet
and bright yellow, the scarlet flushed with purple. The most beautiful,
however, of all the Masdevallias are the varieties of _M. Harryana_, the
colours of which—shades of magenta-crimson—are most intense and
brilliant, many of the forms being also distinct in shape.
_Masdevallia Harryana cœrulescens_, our present subject, was forwarded
to us by R. P. Percival, Esq., of Southport, who is forming what will in
time doubtless become one of the best collections of these plants in the
North of England. Whatever Mr. Percival takes in hand he carries out
thoroughly, and this has led him to build separate houses to suit the
different classes of Orchids. Now as Masdevallias prefer cool treatment
they are best kept in a house by themselves: they require but a small
one, as they take up very little room; indeed they will thrive well
enough in the Odontoglossum house, for if their few wants are attended
to, there are no freer growing plants in cultivation. They increase very
fast under good treatment, and soon repay all the care which is bestowed
upon them. They last a long time in beauty and make grand exhibition
plants, producing also, when in bloom, a charming effect in the houses
if intermixed with the various Odontoglots and other cool Orchids. There
are so many varieties that some of them will always be in flower, but
the best time to see them is from May to July. They are so accommodating
to the grower that many wonderful specimens have been produced and
exhibited during the last few years. When a plant is found to be too
large it may be divided, and the divided portions will go on increasing.
We have found good fibrous peat and sphagnum moss to suit well as
material for the potting of these plants. They thrive best in small
pots. The roots should not be disturbed too often; when, however, they
require fresh material to root in, it must be given them, as they are
free rooting plants and prefer to have sweet wholesome soil about them.
They must also have good drainage, for they need an abundant supply of
water, and by giving them efficient drainage the water passes off
quickly without doing any harm, which it would do if allowed to become
stagnant about them. The plants should be placed near the light but so
as to avoid the sun’s rays. A north house suits them best, as it shields
them in summer from the heat of the day, which they do not like, in
fact, they should be kept as cool as possible at all times, very little
fire-heat being required in winter, and none during the summer. They
like fresh air, but in winter cold draughts must be avoided. We find
that they will thrive in a heat of from 45° to 50°: even somewhat less
would suffice, but the temperature here named is the most suitable.
Anyone, therefore, who possesses a small low house could grow them at a
trifling expense.
They are easily propagated by dividing the tufts, leaving about three
old stems and a leading growth associated. The best time for the
division to be effected is just as they are beginning to grow. They
should be placed in small pots until they are established, when they
should be removed to larger ones.
Insects should be annihilated as soon as they put in an appearance. The
thrips is their greatest pest. Cool Orchids, as a rule, are also subject
to the attack of a small kind of snail, that increases very rapidly, if
not kept under by constant watching night and morning. A few lettuce
leaves placed in different parts of the house, or potatos or turnips cut
in half and scooped out in the centre, form good traps for them, and by
looking these over frequently many of them may be caught, as also by
moving the plants, as they are apt to harbour about the pots.
[Illustration: PL. 25.
CYMBIDIUM PARISHII.]
CYMBIDIUM PARISHII.
[Plate 25.]
Native of Moulmein.
Epiphytal. _Stems_ fusiform, three to four inches long, annulately
marked with the remains of the leaf-bases. _Leaves_ evergreen,
distichous, ligulate-linear, keeled behind, bifid with acute lobes,
from one to two feet long, of a rich green colour. _Racemes_ springing
from the axils of the outer leaves, three to seven-flowered, the
scapes furnished with lanceolate, falcate, acuminate, scariose
sheaths. _Flowers_ large, sweet-scented, ivory-white, with an orange
disk and crimson-purple spots on the lip; _sepals_ and _petals_
oblong-ligulate, acute, of a creamy white colour, the lateral sepals
largest; _lip_ white with an orange coloured central band,
flabellately dilated from a narrowed base, three-cleft in front, the
side lobes oblong directed forwards, white, with numerous
violet-purple spots, the middle or front lobe cuneate-ovate,
undulated, with an orange-coloured silky or velvety disk, spotted with
purplish crimson; disk having near the base a callus which terminates
abruptly in front, and is furnished on the outer side with velvety
hairs. _Column_ white behind, yellow at the edges, and in front having
brownish purple spots at the base; caudicle provided in front, on both
sides, with an awl-shaped extrorse process.
Cymbidium Parishii, _Reichenbach fil._, _MS. Herb. Kew_; _Id._
_Gardeners’ Chronicle_, N.S. I., 338, 566; x., 74; _Id._ _Transactions
of the Linnean Society_, xxx., 144.
The genus _Cymbidium_ forms a small group of Orchids of which there are
but few species worthy of cultivation for ornamental purposes. That
which we now figure is one of the best of them, and is a very rare and
very beautiful plant, which has but seldom bloomed in this country. In
the summer of 1878 Mr. Swan, gardener to W. Leach, Esq., of Oakley
Fallowfield, Manchester, flowered it for the first time in Europe, and
about the same time another specimen blossomed with John Day, Esq., of
Tottenham, which was subsequently purchased by us for 100 guineas. This
latter plant has again flowered, and our sketch was taken from it.
Though a near relative of _Cymbidium eburneum_, this plant is considered
by Reichenbach to be a distinct species, the points of difference
being—the broader leaves with more prominent nerves on the upper
surface; the somewhat smaller flowers with shorter sepals and petals;
and the different form of the segments of the lip, together with some
peculiarities in its callus and pubescence. It is one of the treasures
of India, having been originally discovered so long since as 1859, in
Moulmein, by the Rev. C. Parish, who found _Dendrobium crassinode_ at
the same time. The plants of both these fine Orchids, then collected,
were lost in the Ganges, and the _Cymbidium_ was not seen again for many
years. It appears to have been actually introduced shortly prior to
1874, since at that date living plants are recorded as being rarities in
the collection of Mr. J. Day, of Tottenham, and Mr. R. Warner, of
Broomfield, though it had not then flowered in Europe. It is a most
chaste and lovely plant, its graceful green foliage, and creamy white
blossoms in which the lip is spotted with crimson, producing a beautiful
effect. The flowers have also a pleasant perfume, and last for three or
four weeks in perfection. The flowering season is July and August, and
several flowers are produced upon a spike, in which respect it has a
decided advantage on the score of beauty over _C. eburneum_, which
produces but one flower on a spike. The latter, however, is a charming
Orchid for winter and spring flowering, its ivory-white blossoms being
then especially acceptable. There is also another fine species, _C.
Mastersii_, which produces its white flowers during the dull months of
autumn, when Orchid as well as other white flowers, are scarce. These
are all worth growing for the purpose of cutting, as they keep for a
long time in water.
_Cymbidium Parishii_ is very much like _C. eburneum_ and _C. Mastersii_
in its manner of growth, and also in its general appearance; in fact, it
is somewhat difficult, when the plants are not in bloom, to distinguish
the one from the other. An inspection of our figure will, however, show
that the foliage of _C. Parishii_ is broader and that it is of a lighter
green colour.
It requires the same treatment as _C. eburneum_. We grow the plants in
pots, in the Cattleya house, on the side tables, near the glass. The
material we use for potting is rough fibrous peat and loam, with
thoroughly good drainage, the plants being also elevated above the rim
of the pot. Their roots are thick and fleshy, and they therefore require
a good supply of water during the growing season, but when at rest, the
soil must be kept only just moist. They must be shielded from bright
sunshine, by blinds or some other means, otherwise their foliage will
become spotted. In winter they do not like to have their leaves damped,
although in summer, on warm days, it will not injure them.
They are propagated by dividing the tufts just as they are starting to
make fresh growth, leaving some of the established portion at the back
of the new growth. They must be kept free from insects. The white scale,
which sometimes endeavours to make its way on the foliage, is that
chiefly to be guarded against.
Vanda tricolor.—In November last, we saw in the collection of J. Broome,
Esq., of Didsbury, a very finely grown plant of _V. tricolor_, with two
spikes of exceedingly richly coloured flowers—one of the best we have
ever seen. It is in the way of the Dalkeith variety, but the flowers are
large and of a remarkably bright colour. Mr. Broome sent us a spike to
figure but it was spoilt in the transit; we hope, however, to be able to
procure another when the plant again blooms, so that our subscribers may
see what a well-grown specimen it is. It stands two feet six inches in
height, and has beautifully healthy foliage down to the pot.
[Illustration: PL. 26.
CATTLEYA VELUTINA.]
CATTLEYA VELUTINA.
[Plate 26.]
Native of Brazil.
Epiphytal. _Stems_ slender, terete, from twelve to eighteen inches
high, supporting the evergreen foliage, and furnished at intervals
with short ovate appressed bracts. _Leaves_ in pairs, oblong, acute,
widest near the base, leathery, about eight inches long, and an inch
and a half broad, of a dark green colour. _Scape_ two-flowered,
issuing from a terminal compressed sheath or bract. _Flowers_ of
medium size, stout in texture, tawny orange, the lip white marked with
purplish spots arranged in radiating lines, very fragrant; _sepals_
ligulate-oblong, acute, recurved, rich tawny orange, spotted with
purple; _petals_ of the same colour, cuneate-oblong, acute, somewhat
lobulate or wavy; _lip_ three-lobed, the side lobes very short
semi-ovate, partially enclosing the column, the front lobe large,
roundish-ovate, apiculate, wavy and toothletted, the disk between the
side lobes yellow with purplish streaks, the radiating veins purplish,
the front or middle lobe white with dark purple veins, everywhere
clothed with velvety pubescence. _Column_ free at the back, marked
with many purple spots, and having a purplish border to the
anther-bed.
Cattleya velutina, _Reichenbach fil._, in _Gardeners’ Chronicle_,
1870, 140, 1373; _Id._ 1872, 1259, figs. 288, 289; _Williams_, _Orchid
Grower’s Manual_, 5 ed. 135.
This fine Orchid first flowered in 1870, under the care of Mr. A.
Williams, in the collection of Joseph Broome, Esq., of Didsbury,
Manchester, and subsequently in that of E. G. Wrigley, Esq., of Bury.
What is described as a still finer variety of the same plant appeared
shortly after in the collection of Consul Schiller, of Hamburgh. One of
the most remarkable and special peculiarities of the species is the
powerful fragrance of its flowers, which is so strongly developed as to
scent the whole house in which a blooming plant is placed.
It is a very rare as well as a very distinct species. We have,
ourselves, only met with one example in bloom, besides that from what
our illustration was taken, and that was the specimen in the collection
of Mr. J. Broome, above referred to, as being the first which bloomed in
this country. Our figure was taken from a plant which flowered recently
in the grand collection of Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., M.P., who was
good enough to send it for our artist to sketch, and he has succeeded in
securing a very faithful likeness of it. We have no doubt our collectors
will meet with it in their journeyings in its native country, but it
must be rare there, or we should have obtained more of it; most
probably, like others of its genus, it is difficult to secure. It
resembles _Cattleya bicolor_ in its habit of growth, the stems bearing
two leaves, which grow about twelve to eighteen inches in length. The
sepals and petals are of a rich tawny orange colour, irregularly spotted
with purple, and the lip has the side lobes yellow, and is white in
front, and distinctly striped with violet. Mr. Spyers says it blooms in
September and October, when its fragrance, combined with its distinct
colour, renders it a very acceptable inmate of the Orchid house; it also
flowers at a time when few other Cattleyas are in bloom.
_Cattleya velutina_ requires the same treatment as the other Cattleyas,
that is, to be potted in peat soil with good drainage; it does not need
so much water at the roots as some kinds, but it should be borne in
mind, on the other hand, that it must not be allowed to shrivel, and
therefore a little moisture should always be supplied to the roots. If
the plant once gets into an unhealthy condition its recovery will be
very doubtful. Those of the Cattleyas, such as _C. bicolor_ and _C.
velutina_, which have very slender bulbs are more liable to go wrong
than those that form thick fleshy bulbs, the latter having more
substance from which to draw their support. They require to be kept near
the light, with very little shade, excepting just sufficient to keep
them from the burning sun.
Like other Cattleyas, this species is subject to the inroads of the
scale insect, which should be frequently sought for, and, if found,
promptly removed. The foliage should be kept in a plump condition and
not allowed to shrivel. In cleansing the leaves injury is often caused
by too hard rubbing, by which they become bruised; rather should they be
handled delicately, as, if once damaged, they cannot be restored to a
sound healthy appearance. A damaged leaf is not only a disfigurement,
but is of great injury to the health of the plant, by interfering with
the action of its pores. Cleanliness is one of the great secrets of
success in plant cultivation, but the operation of cleansing should be
taken in hand before the insects get a-head, or they will assuredly eat
into the leaves, which will thus become permanently injured at the
points of attack.
Dr. Ainsworth’s Orchids.—When in Manchester we had the pleasure of
visiting the collection of R. F. Ainsworth, Esq., M.D., in whose fine
and varied collection the plant that most especially attracted our
attention was _Masdevallia Chimæra_, the blossoms of which were very
large, each flower measuring seventeen inches across. The effect of
these beautiful and curiously spotted flowers hanging around the basket
was very striking. We have had it sent to us to figure, but the flowers
do not travel well; we hope, however, some day, when it is in bloom, to
be able to figure it. We also noticed, in the same house, a wonderfully
fine form of _Odontoglossum Alexandræ_, with broad sepals and petals of
beautiful white, while the centre of the petals is marked with a
pleasing rose colour, which gives it a very pretty appearance; the lip
is large, white, beautifully crisped round the edge, the upper part
bright orange-yellow. It was, altogether, a very showy flower. Mr.
Mitchell, the gardener, said it had been in bloom for several weeks, and
it was still fresh and fine when we saw it.
[Illustration: PL. 27.
ODONTOGLOSSUM BREVIFOLIUM.]
ODONTOGLOSSUM BREVIFOLIUM.
[Plate 27.]
Native of the Cordillera of Peru.
Epiphytal. _Pseudobulbs_ ovate-oblong, compressed, monophyllous.
_Leaves_ short, oblong, two inches broad, and sometimes not much
exceeding that in length, spreading. _Scape_ simple, radical, bearing
at the apex a many-flowered erect raceme, the membranaceous bracts of
which are oblong acute, and as long as the pedicels. _Flowers_ nearly
or quite two inches in diameter, of a rich chestnut brown on the
inner, and olive-green on the outer surface; _sepals_ roundish-ovate,
somewhat undulated, narrowed at the base, of a bright chestnut-brown,
narrowly bordered with yellow; _petals_ similar in size and colour,
oblong-ovate; _lip_ clawed, auriculate, wedge-shaped, emarginate,
shorter than the sepals, bright yellow, bearing at the base five warty
tubercles, with a three-toothed appendage in front of them. _Column_
small, the edges of the anther-bed serrated, and decurrent in the form
of membranous wings.
Odontoglossum brevifolium, _Lindley_ in _Bentham’s Plantæ
Hartwegianæ_, 152; _Id._ _Folia Orchidacea_, art. _Odontoglossum_ no.
61; _André_ in _Illustration Horticole_, 3 ser. t. 170; _Reichenbach,
fil._, in _Walpers’ Annales Botanices Systematicæ_. vi. 846.
This very distinct species was first found by Hartweg, on the Peruvian
Andes, near Loxa, and was described by Lindley, in Mr. Bentham’s account
of the plants collected by that traveller. It appears to have been
introduced by M. Linden, and to have been first flowered in his
establishment, the figure published in _L’Illustration Horticole_ having
been derived from this source. The small compressed pseudobulbs are
formed at the end of a sucker or offshoot, which is invested by large
membranous bracts or scales, the upper of which covering the base of the
flower-scape is somewhat broader and leaf-like.
This Odontoglot ranks among the most distinct species of its genus, as
may indeed be seen by a glance at our illustration. It produces dense
spikes of its beautiful flowers, which are more in the way of those of
_Odontoglossum coronarium_ than of any other cultivated species; it,
however, blooms more freely. The spike of flowers we have here
represented was sent to us by Mons. F. Massange, of Liége, in whose
collection the gardener—Mr. Kramer—induces it to flower freely every
year. M. Massange is a great _connoisseur_ of Orchids, and in his
collection are to be found many rare and valuable specimens, which have
been frequently exhibited during the past few years, including the Liége
Exhibition of 1881.
_Odontoglossum brevifolium_ is a dwarf growing plant, and produces its
erect spikes of flowers from the side of the pseudobulbs. There were
seventeen blossoms on that which is here represented. The sepals and
petals are of a bright chestnut-brown, margined and slightly marked near
the base with yellow, the lip is rich yellow with two light brown
patches at its base. It is altogether a strikingly showy plant, and one
that should be always cultivated amongst Odontoglots for its
distinctness of colouring.
The treatment which we find to suit the plant, is to grow it in a basket
suspended from the roof, as it requires and enjoys all the light that
can be given to it; but, of course, it needs to be shaded from the
burning sun. The most suitable material in which to grow the plant is
sphagnum moss and fibrous peat. It requires also a good supply of water
in the growing season, so that it must be thoroughly drained. It thrives
best in a cool house in which the same temperature is maintained as is
found congenial to _Odontoglossum Alexandræ_, and others of that class.
Odontoglossum Londesboroughianum.—We have been under the impression that
this species was not so good as it was first reported to be, but we are
now of a different opinion. There are no doubt many varieties of the
plant, as is the case with nearly all Orchids. In their native countries
they are produced freely from seeds, all of the variations not being
equally good. If our collectors could only pick out the best, when in
bloom, we should be saved many disappointments, but of course they
cannot spend their time in doing this. We were agreeably surprised when
we paid a visit to the collection of G. W. Law-Scholefield, Esq.,
New-Hall-Hey, Rawtenstall, near Manchester, to see a fine spike of the
_O. Londesboroughianum_ with twenty-five of its large blossoms, much
finer than any we had ever seen before. The sepals and petals are
yellow, barred with brown; the lip is large, of a bright golden yellow,
and very showy, and, as the long spikes hung drooping among the white
and coloured flowers of the other Orchids the effect was very good. No
one could complain of having such a species as this, for it is a most
showy flower.
Cypripedium insigne.—When calling at Mrs. Haywood’s, Norris Green,
Liverpool, a few weeks ago, we were pleased to see a fine specimen of
this old Orchid, which was two feet in diameter; on nearly all the
numerous scapes there were two flowers, and very fine ones they were.
Mr. Bardney, the gardener, informed us that they come so every year,
which makes this plant the more interesting, as the character of the
species is merely to produce one flower on a stalk. This plant was grown
in the grand conservatory, in which there was a most wonderful display
of blossom, in fact, the grandest lot of greenhouse flowers we ever
remember to have seen in winter, consisting of Pelargoniumns, Primulas,
Camellias, Cyclamens, and the _Luculia gratissima_, with 40 or 50 heads
of bloom. There are not many Orchids at this place, but, what there are,
are doing well, and are well looked after.
[Illustration: PL. 28.
ZYGOPETALUM GAUTIERI.]
ZYGOPETALUM GAUTIERI.
[Plate 28.]
Native of St. Catherine’s, Brazil.
Epiphytal. _Pseudobulbs_ oblong, deeply furrowed, the younger ones
ancipitous, attached to a branched creeping rhizome. _Leaves_
fascicled, distichous, the outer ones shorter, the central ones
narrowly elongate-oblong, plicate with a strongly developed costa, ten
to twelve inches long, bright green. _Scape_ issuing from the centre
of the leaf-tufts, and terminating in a drooping raceme of three to
six flowers, furnished with elongate-oblong amplexicaul bracts, those
subtending the flowers being nearly as long as the pedicels. _Flowers_
large, showy, green blotched with brown, the lip purple with darker
purple ruff in front of the column; _sepals_ and _petals_ oblong,
acute, nearly equal, the petals directed upwards, all pale green
transversely barred and blotched with purplish brown; _lip_ broad,
three-lobed, furnished with an obtuse spur, the lateral lobes erect,
rich deep purple, forming a crenated unguliform ruff or frill around
the column, the middle lobe very large, two inches across, roundish,
broader than long, apiculate, deep bluish purple, lighter at the edge.
_Column_ short, half surrounded by the purple ruff, arcuate, the
anther case yellow, with a projecting point at the apex.
Zygopetalum Gautieri, _Lemaire_, _Illustration Horticole_, t. 535;
_Williams_, _Orchid Grower’s Manual_, 5 ed., 311.
This genus of Orchids does not comprise so many species as many others,
but among those which are known and introduced, are some which make very
useful autumn and winter flowering subjects, and which are well adapted
for decorating our stoves and Orchid houses. Amongst them occur some of
the oldest of cultivated Orchids, such as are generally to be met with
in good old-fashioned places. We remember to have seen plants of
_Zygopetalum Mackayi_ and _Z. crinitum_ some thirty years ago, also of
_Z. maxillare_—grand specimens with from seventy to a hundred flowers
upon them, and a magnificent sight they were, with their numerous spikes
hanging around the foliage, as represented in the plate, and being
similar in colour.
The species which we now desire to bring to the notice of our readers,
is a very lovely one, which has been sometimes considered as a variety
of _Zygopetalum maxillare_, but the flowers are larger, and it not only
blooms much earlier, but continues in blossom for several weeks. In
addition to this, it is a much freer grower than _Z. maxillare_. We have
had different plants in flower for several months, and then they seemed
as though they would continue blooming much longer; in fact this species
seems to flower whenever it makes its young growth—a peculiar feature
which renders it the most useful of its class.
Our plate was prepared from a plant which bloomed in the fine collection
of Mons. D. Massange, of Marche, in Belgium, under the care of Mr.
Wilcke, who is one of the most successful continental growers of
Orchids. We had the pleasure of seeing specimens from M. Massange’s
grand collection, exhibited at the great show held at Brussels in July,
1880.
_Zygopetalum Gautieri_ is a dwarf growing kind, attaining a height of
about twelve inches, and is provided with distinct plaited green
foliage. The flowers are large, and borne several together on the
spikes; the sepals and petals are green, blotched with purplish brown,
while the lip is of purplish blue, edged with a lighter tint of the same
colour.
There are several varieties of this species, varying from very pale
violet to a rich purplish blue, the variety here figured being one of
the darkest-coloured forms we have yet met with. The flowers are
particularly showy, and last a long time in perfection.
It is of easy cultivation, and not only free-growing but also
free-blooming. It does well in the Cattleya house, planted in peat and
moss, with good drainage, and it may be grown either in a pot or a
basket, or on a block of wood, or on the stem of a tree fern, on which
latter it is frequently imported from its native country. In its wild
state, it appears naturally to creep up these fern stems, and it must
look very beautiful growing in this way, since its drooping spikes
cannot fail to have a good effect when thus seen hanging among the green
foliage. It requires a good supply of water during the growing season,
but, when at rest, less will suffice. The plant needs plenty of light,
but it must be shaded from the fierce sun-rays during the summer months.
Lælia anceps Dawsoni.—One of the best specimens we have had the pleasure
of seeing of _L. anceps Dawsoni_ is in the collection of R. S. Dodgson,
Esq., Blackburn; it had four spikes of buds when we saw it in November
last; since then we have received a spike of three flowers, and a very
fine variety it is. Mr. Osman informs us that the plant has ten expanded
blossoms. It is one of the best plants and as good a variety as we have
met with; the sepals and petals are large, pure white, and of great
substance; the lip is bright rosy purple edged with white, the throat
orange, veined with purple. No doubt there are different varieties in
cultivation which were imported along with this some years ago. Mr.
Dodgson’s plant is grown suspended from the roof, and from its
appearance this seems to be the best method of growing it to perfection.
It likes plenty of light all the year round, and should be just kept
shaded from the burning sun.
[Illustration: PL. 29.
CŒLOGYNE MASSANGEANA.]
CŒLOGYNE MASSANGEANA.
[Plate 29.]
Native of Assam.
Epiphytal. _Pseudobulbs_ pyriform, three to four inches in height,
smooth, bearing two leaves at the apex. _Leaves_ persistent,
cuneate-oblong, acute, stalked, somewhat plicate, a foot and a half
high including the stalk, and four inches broad. _Peduncle_ pendulous,
produced from the base of the pseudobulbs, one and a half to two feet
long, nigro-asperate; _bracts_ cuneate-oblong obtuse, much shorter
than the pedicels. _Flowers_ showy, in loose racemes of two dozen or
more, yellow with a brown lip; _sepals_ ligulate obtuse, somewhat
keeled outside, light ochre-yellow; _petals_ linear-ligulate, of the
same colour as the sepals; _lip_ three-lobed, concave, the side lobes
semi-ovate, acute in front, of a beautiful maroon-brown with
ochre-coloured veins, the middle lobe creamy white at the edge, with a
large brown disk, short, transversely oval with an apiculus, and
having three light yellow rather prominent toothletted keels extending
from the base to the anterior lobe, and “six confluent rows of green
retuse many-angled cells, reminding one of human molar teeth” in front
of them. _Column_ light ochre-yellow, streaked with brown, winged in
front, the anther-bed with a retuse membranous border.
Cœlogyne Massangeana, _Reichenbach fil._, in _Gardeners’ Chronicle_,
N.S., x., 684; _Floral Magazine_, 2 ser., t. 373.
The plant which we now bring under the notice of our readers belongs to
a rather extensive genus of Orchids, some of the species of which are
very beautiful, while others are not worth cultivating as decorative
plants. That which is now before us, is, however, an exceedingly
handsome and very remarkable species, which was imported from Assam, by
MM. Jacob-Makoy & Cie., of Liège, Belgium. Our illustration was taken
from a very fine plant, which produced no fewer than eight of its long
pendulous racemes of flowers, some of these having as many as
twenty-seven blossoms on them. This grand specimen was grown in the
notable collection of Mons. D. Massange, at the Château de Baillonville,
near Marche, in Belgium, in whose honour the species was named by
Professor Reichenbach. We had the pleasure of seeing this
extraordinarily fine plant, growing under pot-culture, in M. Massange’s
Cattleya house, and since then we have received the materials from which
our artist has made the capital representation which accompanies these
remarks. In regard to its botanical affinities it stands near to the
Bornean _Cœlogyne asperata_, which is sometimes called _C. Lowii_.
One remarkable feature of this _Cœlogyne Massangeana_ is the
extraordinary shortness of time which it takes to develope its rather
ample spikes of flowers; these are often pushed up from the pseudobulbs
in their corkscrew-like fashion, and become extended to their full
length in a very few days, the buds swelling off at once, and the
flowers very soon appearing in full beauty, in which state they continue
for four or five weeks.
We have seen a wonderfully fine example of this plant in the grand
collection of R. Smith, Esq., Brentham Park, Stirling; this was
suspended from the roof, and bore several fine flower-spikes. Mr. Smith
regards this as one of the most beautiful Cœlogynes in cultivation. When
we saw the plant, it was overhanging a wonderful specimen of _Cattleya
exoniensis_, a grand variety, and there were also many other fine
Cattleyas in the same house.
_Cœlogyne Massangeana_ is a free-growing evergreen plant, with stout
pseudobulbs from three to four inches in height, each supporting a pair
of light green plicate leaves, which are about eighteen inches high, and
about four inches broad. The flower-spikes are produced from the base of
the pseudobulbs, and, when the plants are in vigorous health, they
frequently attain the length of eighteen inches, or sometimes two feet.
The sepals and petals are of a light yellow-ochre colour; the lip rich
brown, its upper part or side lobes creamy yellow, lined with brown. The
plant flowers at various times of the year. We have more than once had
it in bloom twice in one year, and it continues for several weeks in a
state of freshness and beauty.