Chapter I: Part 1

THE
ORCHID ALBUM,

COMPRISING
COLOURED FIGURES AND DESCRIPTIONS
OF
NEW, RARE, AND BEAUTIFUL
ORCHIDACEOUS PLANTS.

CONDUCTED BY
ROBERT WARNER, F.L.S., F.R.H.S.,
Author of SELECT ORCHIDACEOUS PLANTS,
AND
BENJAMIN SAMUEL WILLIAMS, F.L.S., F.R.H.S.,
Author of the ORCHID-GROWERS’ MANUAL, etc.

The Botanical Descriptions by THOMAS MOORE, F.L.S., F.R.H.S.,
CURATOR of the CHELSEA BOTANIC GARDENS.

_THE COLOURED FIGURES BY JOHN NUGENT FITCH, F.L.S._

VOLUME I.

LONDON:
Published by B. S. Williams,
AT THE
VICTORIA AND PARADISE NURSERIES, UPPER HOLLOWAY, N.
MDCCCLXXXII.

DEDICATED
BY SPECIAL PERMISSION
TO
_H.R.H. The Princess of Wales,_
BY
HER ROYAL HIGHNESS’
Very obedient and humble Servants,
ROBERT WARNER,
BENJAMIN S. WILLIAMS.

PREFACE.

The great advances which have been made within the last few years in the introduction and the cultivation of Exotic Orchids, have suggested the desirability of devoting a monthly publication to the illustration of the best forms of these singular and captivating aristocratic plants, and also to the explanation of the most successful methods of growing them, its object being to supply such information concerning them as the Orchid Grower may be likely to find useful in directing his purchases, and in suggesting the various points of discreet and masterly management. Moreover, we have found that figures of the better varieties of Orchids are much in request.

These considerations have induced us to commence the publication of the Orchid Album, in the confident expectation that we shall meet with sufficient support and encouragement to enable us to continue it, and, so far as our experience goes, we have no reason to feel disappointed, for we find that Orchid growers, both amateur and professional, are taking a marked interest not only in the plates but also in the cultural notes.

In regard to the subjects for illustration, we hope in due course to figure not only the typical form of all the more popular and interesting species, but also the leading varieties, when they prove sufficiently distinct and meritorious. It is for these that we anticipate our subscribers and readers will most anxiously look.

Being of Royal Quarto size, the pages of the Album are sufficiently large to enable the artist to produce ample and intelligible portraits of the plants without their becoming cumbersome; and, as they will be drawn and coloured in the best style, we confidently hope they will prove to be acceptable to the lovers and growers of Orchids generally. Thus we trust we may be permitted to lay before our patrons an acceptable Annual Album of Floral Pictures, which will be, at once, welcomed both to the Drawing-room and the Library.

The work has been commenced in deference to the urgent representations of many of the leading cultivators of these remarkable and fascinating plants, who have pointed out to us the want which we are now endeavouring to meet. The great advantage and pleasure which Orchid Growers have derived from the publication of such illustrated works as the _Select Orchidaceous Plants_, and such practical instructions as are given in the _Orchid Grower’s Manual_, lead us to believe that there exists a desire and a taste for further Orchidic literature, which we trust the Orchid Album may in some considerable degree supply. Our chief aim will be to give authentic information as to the nomenclature of the plants, and to disseminate correct instructions in regard to their cultural requirements. The finer new Orchids, as well as the older meritorious species and varieties, will be figured with equal fidelity, and described with equal accuracy. We shall at all times feel grateful to those Amateurs or Trade growers who may give us information as to the flowering either of novelties or of remarkably fine forms of the older kinds, especially if they are such as will be suitable for figuring.

The Annual Volumes will consist of the twelve Monthly Parts issued up to June in each year, when the volume will be completed by the publication of a Title Page and Index.

B. S. WILLIAMS.

Victoria and Paradise Nurseries,
Upper Holloway, London, N.,
_June 1st, 1882_.

INDEX TO PLATES.

PLATE
AËRIDES LOBBII, _Hort. Veitch_ 21
ANGRÆCUM EBURNEUM, _Du Pet.-Th._ 41
ANGULOA RUCKERII SANGUINEA, _Lindl._ 19
BURLINGTONIA CANDIDA, _Lindl._ 18
CALANTHE VEITCHII, _Lindl._ 31
CATTLEYA GUTTATA LEOPOLDII, _Lind. et Rchb. f._ 16
CATTLEYA MENDELII GRANDIFLORA, _Williams et Moore_ 3
CATTLEYA MORGANÆ, _Williams et Moore_ 6
CATTLEYA SUPERBA SPLENDENS, _Lem._ 33
CATTLEYA TRIANÆ, _Lind. et Rchb. f._ 45
CATTLEYA VELUTINA, _Rchb. f._ 26
CŒLOGYNE MASSANGEANA, _Rchb. f._ 29
CYMBIDIUM PARISHII, _Rchb. f._ 25
CYPRIPEDIUM CHLORONEURUM, _Rchb. f._ 37
CYPRIPEDIUM LAWRENCEANUM, _Rchb. f._ 22
CYPRIPEDIUM POLITUM, _Rchb. f._ 36
CYPRIPEDIUM STONEI, _Low_ 8
DENDROBIUM AINSWORTHII ROSEUM, _Moore_ 20
DENDROBIUM BIGIBBUM, _Lindl._ 38
DENDROBIUM SUAVISSIMUM, _Rchb. f._ 13
DENDROBIUM SUPERBUM, _Rchb. f._ 42
EPIDENDRUM VITELLINUM MAJUS, _Hort._ 4
LÆLIA ANCEPS DAWSONI, _Anders._ 44
LÆLIA ELEGANS ALBA, _Williams et Moore_ 30
LÆLIA PURPURATA WILLIAMSII, _Hort._ 9-10
LÆLIA SCHRÖDERII, _Williams et Moore_ 2
LÆLIA XANTHINA, _Lindl._ 23
MASDEVALLIA HARRYANA CŒRULESCENS, _Hort._ 24
MASDEVALLIA SHUTTLEWORTHII, _Rchb. f._ 5
MILTONIA CUNEATA, _Lindl._ 46
ODONTOGLOSSUM ALEXANDRÆ, _Batem._ 47
ODONTOGLOSSUM ALEXANDRÆ FLAVEOLUM, _Williams et Moore_ 43
ODONTOGLOSSUM ANDERSONIANUM, _Rchb. f._ 35
ODONTOGLOSSUM BREVIFOLIUM, _Lindl._ 27
ODONTOGLOSSUM KRAMERI, _Rchb. f._ 40
ONCIDIUM CONCOLOR, _Hook._ 1
ONCIDIUM GARDNERI, _Lindl._ 12
ONCIDIUM HÆMATOCHILUM, _Lindl._ 32
PAPHINIA CRISTATA, _Lindl._ 34
PESCATOREA KLABOCHORUM, _Rchb. f._ 17
PHALÆNOPSIS AMABILIS DAYANA, _Hort._ 11
PHALÆNOPSIS STUARTIANA NOBILIS, _Rchb. f._ 39
PROMENÆA CITRINA, _Don._ 7
TRICHOPILIA SUAVIS ALBA, _Hort._ 14
VANDA CŒRULESCENS, _Griff._ 48
VANDA PARISHII, _Rchb. f._ 15
ZYGOPETALUM GAUTIERI, _Lem._ 28

INDEX TO NOTES AND SYNONYMS.

UNDER PLATE
Aërides Fieldingii, Dr. Ainsworth’s 4
Aërides Leeanum, Mr. Law-Schofield’s 37
Aërides odoratum majus, Mrs. Arbuthnot’s 14
Aërides Schröderii, Dr. Ainsworth’s 4
Aërides suavissimum, Mr. Coates’ 18
Angræcum eburneum virens 41
Angræcum sesquipedale, Mr. Coates’ 18
Angræcum superbum, _Du Pet.-Th._ 41
Bletia xanthina, _Rchb. f._ 23
Bollea cœlestis, as a block plant 40
Bolleas, Mr. Gair’s 17
Cattleya Dowiana, Mr. Dodgson’s 19
Cattleya Dowiana, Mr. Lee’s 2
Cattleya gigas, Mr. Bockett’s 6
Cattleya gigas, Mr. Lee’s 2
Cattleya labiata Lindigiana, _Karst._ 45
Cattleya labiata Trianæ, _Duch._ 45
Cattleya Leopoldii, _Hort. Versch._ 16
Cattleya superba, Sir T. Lawrence’s 3
Cattleya Trianæ, Mr. Wright’s 41
Cattleya Trianæ Dodgsoni 40
Cattleya Trianæ Osmani 40
Cymbidium eburneum, correction 29
Cypripedium barbatum superbum, Mr. Dodgson’s 4
Cypripedium insigne, Mrs Haywood’s 27
Cypripedium Spicerianum, Mr. Bockett’s 19
Cypripedium villosum, Mr. Wyatt’s 42
Cyrtochilum citrinum, _Hook._ 1
Dendrobium Ainsworthii, _Moore_ 20
Dendrobium Falconeri, Marquis of Lothian’s 44
Dendrobium Findleyanum, Mr. Bowring’s 32
Dendrobium Hillii, Mr. Wyatt’s 42
Dendrobium macranthum, _Hook._ 42
Dendrobium macrophyllum, _Lindl._ 42
Dendrobium nobile, a three-lipped 48
Dendrobium superbum (macrophyllum), Prince of Wales’ 36
Dendrobium Wardianum, Mr. Salamon’s 44
Dendrochilum filiforme, Mr. Hill’s 15
Epidendrum elatius, var., _Rchb. f._ 45
Epidendrum labiatum Trianæ, _Rchb. f._ 45
Epidendrum nemorale, Sir T. Lawrence’s 3
Lælia anceps Dawsoni, Mr. Dodgson’s 28
Lælia autumnalis atrorubens, Mr. Chamberlain’s 28
Lælia Dominiana rosea, _Hort. Veitch_ 12
Lælia elegans prasiata 40
Lælia Philbrickiana, _Hort. Veitch_ 5
Limodorum eburneum, _Bory._ 41
Masdevallia chimæra, Dr. Ainsworth’s 26
Masdevallia Harryana, _Rchb. f._ 24
Masdevallia Lindeni, _Hook._ 24
Masdevallia Lindeni Harryana, _André_ 24
Maxillaria citrina, _Lyons_ 7
Maxillaria cristata, _Lindl._ 34
Miltonia speciosa, _Kl._ 46
Odontoglossum Alexandræ, Dr. Ainsworth’s 26
Odontoglossum Alexandræ flaveolum, Mr. Hardy’s 34
Odontoglossum Alexandræ reginæ 48
Odontoglossum Bluntii, _Rchb. f._ 47
Odontoglossum crispum, _Lindl._ 47
Odontoglossum crispum flaveolum, _Rchb. f._ 43
Odontoglossum Londesboroughianum, Mr. Law-Schofield’s 27
Odontoglossum Roezlii, Mr. Todd’s 43
Odontoglossum vexillarium, Mr. Bull’s autumn-flowering variety 23
Odontoglossums at Trentham 43
Oncidium luridum purpuratum, _Lodd._ 32
Oncidium speciosum, _Rchb. f._ 46
Orchids, Dr. Ainsworth’s 26
Orchids, Mr. Dodgson’s 4
Orchids, Mr. Dorman’s 40
Orchids, Mr. Hardy’s 4
Orchids, Baron Schröder’s 22
Orchids at Arnot Hill 15
Orchids at Ferguslie 18
Orchids at Manchester, 1881 4
Orchids in Belgium, Dr. Boddaert’s 1
Orchids in Belgium, M. D. Massange’s 16
Orchids from Dr. Paterson 45
Orchids, from Perth, N.B. 48
Orchids, raised blinds for 35
Orchids, shading 30, 35
Pescatoreas, Mr. Gair’s 17
Phalænopsids, Mr. Bockett’s 11
Phalænopsis intermedia Portei, Baron Schröder’s 22
Phalænopsis Stuartiana, _Rchb. f._ 39
Restrepia antennifera, M. D. Massange’s 16
Rodriquezia candida, _Batem._ 18
Sphagnum, best kind for Odontoglots 43
Trichopilia suavis, _Lindl._ 14
Vanda Cathcartii, M. D. Massange’s 16
Vanda cœrulea, Marquis of Lothian’s 17
Vanda Lowii, Sir T. Lawrence’s 3
Vanda suavis, Dr. Ainsworth’s 4
Vanda suavis, Mr. Dodgson’s 4
Vanda tricolor, Mr. Broome’s 25
Vanda tricolor planilabris, M. Massange’s 16
Zygopetalum Klabochorum, _Rchb. f._ 17

ONCIDIUM CONCOLOR.
[Plate 1.]
Native of the Organ Mountains of Brazil.

Epiphytal. _Pseudobulbs_ small, tufted, ovate or ovate-oblong,
compressed, somewhat furrowed, two-leaved. _Leaves_ subcoriaceous,
oblong-linear or ligulate, acute, bright green. _Scape_ radical,
springing from the base of the young pseudobulbs, drooping, furnished
with small bracts. _Flowers_ yellow, racemose; _sepals_ (dorsal)
ovate-lanceolate or obovate, acute, the lateral ones smaller,
lance-shaped, and united behind the lip for about half their length;
_petals_ obovate, acute, somewhat undulated, about as long as the
sepals; _lip_ (labellum) large and prominent, roundish subpanduriform,
emarginate, somewhat clawed, furnished with a pair of plates or
lamellæ (bilamellate) at the base, of a clear yellow colour, as are
the sepals and petals. _Column_ about half as long as the petals, with
a projecting tooth on each side.

Oncidium concolor, _Hooker_, _Botanical Magazine_, t. 3752; _Lindley_,
_Folia Orchidacea_, Art. _Oncidium_, No. 65 (excl. syn. Klotzsch);
_Reichenbach fil._ in _Walpers’ Annales Botanices Systematicæ_, vi.
731.; _Carrière_, in _Revue Horticole_, 1881, 30, with tab.

Cyrtochilum citrinum, _Hooker_, _Botanical Magazine_, t. 4454.

The brilliant little plant here figured—a representation in the tribe _Vandeæ_, of the great genus _Oncidium_—belongs to the group of Oncids which Lindley named _Tetrapetala micropetala_, in which two of the sepals are united so that the petaloid organs, as distinguished from the lip, are reduced to four in number (_tetrapetala_), and at the same time the petals, which are about equal in size to the sepals, are comparatively small by comparison with the remaining organ.

This species, although not new, was until recently extremely rare, and was, indeed, seldom met with in collections; now, however, the little gem is very plentiful, thanks to the indefatigable zeal of our collectors, so that growers who do not possess it may obtain it at a very small cost. The species is one of the most compact-growing and beautiful of the _Oncidiums_, producing, as it does, from the base of the new bulbs, many-flowered drooping spikes of rich yellow blossoms. It is an excellent subject for planting in a pan or basket to be suspended from the roof of the house, where the brightly-coloured flowers produce a charming effect; indeed, we do not know of any Orchid which has a better appearance when grown in this way.

_Oncidium concolor_ succeeds best in a compost of peat with a little sphagnum moss added, and with plenty of good drainage. We have grown it most successfully in small pans, but it can be cultivated either in a basket or on a block. It would succeed equally well in a pot, but the drooping character of the flower-spikes renders it a most fitting subject for growing in either of the above-named receptacles, and for suspension from the roof. As to temperature, we find it succeeds best in the Odontoglossum-house during the summer months. After it has flowered, and while it is making its growth, a copious supply of water should be given to it, always keeping the soil moist until the growth of the bulbs is completed. When it has finished its growth, it should be removed to the Cattleya-house, where it should be kept moderately dry until it produces its spikes about March or April.

For exhibition purposes this is a most valuable little plant, being easy of cultivation, distinct in colour, and flowering during the principal exhibition months, May and June; its long lasting quality is also a great point in its favour. In order to preserve the flowers for a considerable time, they should be kept free from damp, for if allowed to get wet they soon become spotted, and fade, but when kept in this way, they will last at least six or seven weeks. The plant is altogether a most valuable Orchid, and as it takes up but little room, we recommend growers to procure a good stock of it, as its effect when suspended among other flowering Orchids is charming.

Orchids in Belgium.—When in Ghent a few days ago, I had the good fortune to receive an invitation to view the celebrated collection of Dr. Boddaert of that city. The collection is a very extensive one, and the plants are exceedingly well grown and healthy. There was a good show of flowering Orchids, among which may be mentioned:—_Trichopilia crispa marginata_ with forty-two expanded flowers, a marvel of cultivation; _Odontoglossum Phalænopsis_ with twenty-six flowers, a fine well-grown plant; _Cypripedium Argus_ with six flower spikes; the new _Trichopilia suavis alba_, of which we hope to give a plate later on; _Anguloa Ruckerii sanguinea_ with several flowers; also the rare _Nanodes Medusæ_, with _Odontoglossums_, _Vandas_, _Masdevallias_, &c., in great variety.

H. Williams.

LÆLIA SCHRÖDERII.
[Plate 2.]
Native of Bahia.

Epiphytal. _Stems_ (or pseudobulbs) club-shaped, about a foot and a
half high, monophyllous, furrowed when mature. _Leaves_ coriaceous,
oblong, acute, broad to the base, light green. _Scape_ three to
four-flowered, issuing from a terminal oblong compressed bract, an
inch wide and five inches long. _Flowers_ large, subhorizontal, about
seven inches across, delicately coloured, with a prettily veined lip;
_sepals_ lanceolate, reflexed, three-fourths of an inch wide, white;
_petals_ convex, ovate, narrowed to the base, somewhat crispy at the
edge, pure white, scarcely as long as the lip; _lip_ (labellum)
membranaceous, three-lobed, the lateral lobes convolute around the
column, yellow outside, striped with deeper yellow veins, the middle
lobe ovate, obtuse, undulated, the anterior portion and margin white,
the mouth veined with magenta-rose, the disk naked, and the tubulose
basal portion deep yellow, veined with magenta. _Column_ much shorter
than the lateral lobes of the lip.

Lælia Schröderii, _supra_.

This plant belongs to that tribe of the Orchid family which is called _Epidendreæ_, and of which the genus _Epidendrum_ is regarded as the type. This group is known by its waxy pollen-masses, which are attached to a distinct caudicle, but bear no separable stigmatic gland as occurs in the tribe _Vandeæ_. The genus is closely related to _Cattleya_, and contains some of the finest ornaments of our Orchid-houses.

The subject of our present illustration is a new and most beautiful Orchid, now figured and described for the first time. It is closely allied to _Lælia grandis_, but is distinct from that species, inasmuch as the sepals and petals are white, whereas those of _L. grandis_ are of a nankeen yellow. It is named in honour of Baron Henry Schröder, an enthusiastic admirer of this handsome class of plants. The species flowered for the first time this year, in the Victoria and Paradise Nurseries.

The flowers are produced in May and June, three or four together, on spikes which are produced from the apex of the new bulbs; they have a delicate and pleasing appearance, the sepals and petals being pure white, while the lip is white, striped with rose, throat deep yellow, veined with magenta. It should be kept free from damp when in flower, as the blossoms being of a delicate nature, soon spot and go off; but kept in this way free from moisture they will last about four weeks in a fresh and perfect state.

In growth the plant somewhat resembles _L. purpurata_, the bulbs and foliage being about eighteen inches in height, and of a light green colour. It succeeds well grown in the Cattleya-house in pots filled with peat and a little sphagnum moss, over plenty of drainage. It should receive a moderate supply of water at the root during the growing season, and should never be allowed to get thoroughly dry. When it has made its growth it should be allowed to rest, and at that time should be kept rather dry, only giving it sufficient water to prevent it from shrivelling.

_Lælias_ are subject to the attacks of white scale, but this can easily be got rid of by sponging with clean water. Thrips sometimes attack the young growths, and if allowed to increase, soon disfigure the leaves.

Cattleya gigas and C. Dowiana.—These _Cattleyas_ have been considered to be shy-flowering species, and we have sometimes found them to be so in our own experience, but we are beginning to change our opinion on this subject. No doubt there are some plants that grow and flower more freely than others, but a great deal depends on the conditions in which they are placed and the treatment they receive. I recently had the pleasure of visiting the collection of W. Lee, Esq., of Leatherhead, which in time will be one of the finest to be seen in this country. The Estate is situated in an open part of the country, and the Orchid-houses are built on the side of a hill where they get the full light and sun, while they are sheltered from the driving winds; these houses are, indeed, all that can be desired, the requisitions of the various classes of plants having been well studied. Every accommodation is provided for those kinds, such as _Cattleya gigas_ and _C. Dowiana_, that are difficult to bloom. These two were splendidly in flower, and are most lovely and distinct kinds; the flowers of _C. gigas_ were nearly nine inches in diameter, the sepals and petals of the purest dark rosy colour, and the lip a fine rich dark crimson magenta. _C. Dowiana_ was also very fine and attractive in colour, the sepals and petals being of a nankeen yellow, and the lip of a rich dark purple, elegantly pencilled and striped with lines of gold. We hope at some future time to give our readers a plate of the fine variety of _C. gigas_ above referred to. Both these species are here grown as near the light as possible, and the treatment they receive is, first to induce a vigorous growth, and then to give them a good rest after the growth is completed, at the same time keeping them well exposed to the light, and giving them merely sufficient water to prevent them from shrivelling, a more ample supply of water being given as soon as they show signs of flowering. There was also in this collection another species that is generally considered difficult to grow, namely, _Vanda teres_, of which there were three plants which had been blooming very finely. When cultivated as these are, they well repay all the trouble taken with them. These are grown at one end of the house, without any shade.—B. S. W.

CATTLEYA MENDELII GRANDIFLORA.
[Plate 3.]
Native of the United States of Columbia.

Epiphytal. _Stems_ oblong, club-shaped, furrowed when mature, twelve
to eighteen inches high. _Leaves_ solitary coriaceous,
ligulate-oblong, acute, dark green above, paler beneath. _Scape_ three
to four-flowered, issuing from a terminal oblong compressed bract,
which is three to four inches long, and an inch broad. _Flowers_ very
large and exceedingly handsome, measuring eight inches across;
_sepals_ an inch wide, lanceolate, recurved, white; _petals_
spreading, clawed, broadly ovate, measuring nearly three inches
across, plane towards the base prettily frilled in the anterior
portion, the apex recurved, white, with a scarcely perceptible tint of
blush near the edge; _lip_ obovate emarginate, three and a quarter
inches long, the basal half entire, rolled over the column, the
anterior portion expanded and beautifully fringed, about two inches in
breadth and rather more in depth, the apical half occupied with a
solid blotch of rich magenta rose, passing to white at the frilled
edge, the side portions white, the disk and throat of a delicate tint
of nankeen yellow, the extreme base white, with numerous divergent
lines of magenta rose, a few of which (about two) run out to join the
blotch at the tip of the anterior lobe. _Column_ about half as long as
the convolute base of the lip, club-shaped, decurved, semiterete, with
a rounded keel at the back.

Cattleya Mendelii grandiflora, _supra._

When _Cattleya Mendelii_ was first flowered by S. Mendel, Esq., some few years ago, many botanists were of opinion that it was not sufficiently dissimilar from, but only a variety of, _C. Trianæ_. Since that time it has been flowered in many different collections with but little variation of character, and, as we think, has fully vindicated its right, whether as a species or race, to be regarded as a distinct Orchid of first-rate merit.

The subject of our plate is a gigantic variety of the _Cattleya Mendelii_, which has just flowered in our own collection. It proves to be in every way larger, and altogether superior, to the old type, the flowers having much more substance, and being of better form, which results from the greater width of the lip and petals. The sepals and petals are white, the latter being very broad and of good substance, while the lip is broad and well fringed, pure white in its upper part, with a large bright magenta patch at the front part, and the throat is orange, with reddish crimson veins, which stand out in fine contrast against the pure white of the remaining portions of the flower. It produces as many as four flowers on a spike, each flower measuring over eight inches across, and the flowers are thrown well up above the foliage, and thus produce the grandest appearance we have as yet seen in any _Cattleya_.

_Cattleya Mendelii_ succeeds well in a compost of peat, with the addition of a little sphagnum moss, and requires good drainage. We have found it to do best in pots, with the plant well elevated above the rim, but it can be grown with success either on a block or in a basket suspended from the roof of the house. The temperature of the Cattleya-house suits it best.

This is a grand plant for exhibition or decorative purposes, as the pure white and magenta of its flowers are exceedingly effective amongst the other species of _Cattleya_ which flower at the same time of year. The flowering season is May and June, after which time _C. Mendelii_ begins to make its growth. It should then receive a moderate supply of water—not too much, as an over bountiful supply is apt to cause the young growths to rot. After the annual growths are completed the plants should be gradually dried off, only giving them sufficient water to keep them from shrivelling.

The species of _Cattleya_ are all subject to white scale and thrips. These insect pests may, however, be easily removed by careful sponging, either with water or a little insecticide; they should be cleaned off as soon as discovered, as if allowed to establish themselves they disfigure the leaves and bulbs, and so spoil the appearance of the plants. Cleanliness and good cultivation are the chief points to be considered in the successful keeping of _Cattleyas_.

Vanda Lowii, &c.—One often hears that _Vanda Lowii_ does not bloom until it attains a large size. This, however, is erroneous, for we have flowered it when not more than two feet high; and we have also seen a plant of about the same size in the collection of Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., with a flower spike some four or five feet long, in full beauty, with its two bright orange-yellow flowers at the base, the rest of the blossoms being of a bright brownish-crimson colour. This was a most extraordinary spike for so small a plant. When the specimens attain a larger size they often produce six of these long spikes, which extend to seven feet in length. We have one now showing this number of spikes, but the plant is fully five feet high. We were glad to see in this collection a grand mass of _Epidendrum nemorale majus_, which is figured in the first series of Warner’s _Select Orchidaceous Plants_, but we never expected to see such a specimen as that in the collection of Sir Trevor Lawrence, which must have been three or four feet across, and had eighteen spikes of its beautiful rosy and mauve-coloured flowers. This plant was well worth going to see, as were many others: indeed, the fame of this collection is so widely spread that it is almost needless to comment upon it; suffice it to say, that it is the finest and best kept collection we know of. At the time of our visit we were pleased to see some fine plants of _Cattleya superba_ with their splendid deep rose and crimson flowers; this is one of the most distinct and beautiful of all _Cattleyas_, and had been grown in the East India House, suspended from the roof.—B. S. W.

EPIDENDRUM VITELLINUM MAJUS.
[Plate 4.]
Native of Mexico.

Epiphytal. _Pseudobulbs_ ovate, clustered, two-leaved. _Leaves_
oblong-ligulate, acute, sheathing at the base. _Scape_ erect, six to
nine inches high, racemose, many-flowered, longer than the leaves.
_Flowers_ brilliant orange-scarlet, nearly two inches across, much
larger than the typical form; _sepals_ spreading; _petals_ flat,
elliptic, somewhat broader than the sepals, spreading, lanceolate,
acute; _lip_ clawed, linear, abruptly acute, with a bifoveate
(two-holed) callosity below the middle, deep yellow passing to
orange-scarlet at the tip. _Column_ parallel with and nearly half the
length of the lip, to which it is adnate towards the base, the
anther-bed marginate in front.

Epidendrum vitellinum majus, _of gardens_.

The original form of _Epidendrum vitellinum_, of which a good though pale-coloured figure will be found in the _Botanical Register_ for 1840 (t. 35), is one of the most brilliant of the _Epidendreæ_, on account of its remarkable fiery colour, which makes it invaluable for contrasting with other subjects, both in the Orchid-house, in the jardinière, or in the bouquet. The same colour, or something near it, occurs in a few other Orchids, which are equally valuable from a decorative point of view, as for example in _Lælia cinnabarina_, _Lælia harpophylla_, and _Ada aurantiaca_, all of them being plants, which, under favourable conditions, yield a brilliant effect. The subject of our plate has the advantage of producing larger and more showy flowers than its type, and to this extent is the more desirable of the two for the house-stage, or exhibition table.

Until within the last few years this plant was very rare, but having been imported in large quantities it is now to be found in every collection, however limited its pretensions. The bright colour of its orange-scarlet flowers, produced in considerable numbers on upright spikes, renders it a most striking and distinct species. We have known the flowers to last as long as twelve weeks in perfection; in fact, we have on several occasions exhibited a plant of it at as many as six different successive exhibitions. Mixed with other Orchids it has a most telling effect; and a well-flowered specimen once seen by a novice is likely to produce a lasting impression. In the Broomfield collection it is used very largely in association with Odontoglossums, and the effect of the orange-scarlet flowers amongst the numerous spikes of _Odontoglossum Alexandræ_, and other species, is charming.

We have found this _Epidendrum_ to do well in the Odontoglossum-house in a compost of peat and sphagnum moss. It does equally well in a pot or in a basket, and should receive a fair supply of water while growing. The plant seems to revel in a good amount of sunlight, but it must be kept from the burning rays of the sun by a slight shading, too much sunshine being apt to make the foliage become blotched and sickly-looking.

The variety _majus_ blooms at a different time of the year from the original species, which has the flowers much smaller, and which blooms in August and September from the young growths; whereas the variety _majus_ flowers from the tips of the bulbs of the previous year’s growth. There are several forms of the plant, some with flowers much larger and brighter than others; indeed, the one here figured is not so large as some that were flowered years ago, which may be due to the fact that they were old-established plants. We remember the late Mrs. Lawrence, of Ealing Park, exhibiting a remarkably strong specimen at one of the Chiswick shows, thirty-five years since, a perfect blaze of flower. S. Brunton, Esq., also exhibited a grand plant of a good variety a few years back; and C. W. Lea, Esq., Parkfield, Worcester, had a wonderful example in bloom, last year. These several plants were all part of the early importations.

The Manchester Show of Orchids, June, 1881.—The display of Orchids at the Manchester Exhibition was a very fine one, and no Orchid grower should have missed the sight. The specimens were truly marvellous, especially the sixteen plants shown by R. Dodgson, Esq., of Blackburn, amongst which were a _Vanda suavis_ with about a dozen flower-spikes; _Lælia purpurata_ and _Cattleya Warneri_, both wonderful specimens, as also was _Masdevallia Harryana_; _Cypripedium barbatum superbum_ which had a hundred blooms upon it, and was not made up for the occasion, but had been grown on from a single plant; and _Dendrobium Wardianum_ which was a magnificent plant. Great credit is due to Mr. Osman for his talent, in successfully cultivating so fine a collection. G. Hardy, Esq., of Timperley, exhibited some wonderful plants, especially of _Cattleyas_, _Lælias_, _Dendrobium thyrsiflorum_, _Oncidium Marshallianum_, _Odontoglossum vexillarium_, &c. R. F. Ainsworth, Esq., M.D., also exhibited some fine specimens, especially _Vanda suavis_, _Aërides Fieldingii_, and _A. Schröderii_; these three are most extraordinary plants, and have been grown in the collection for eighteen years, which is a sufficient proof of what can be done by perseverance, and, moreover, gives one an idea how well Orchids can be grown and exhibited for many successive years. We have known these three specimens to be shown at the Manchester exhibitions and elsewhere for the past ten or fifteen years, and they are now in the finest possible condition, as they have always been, under the successful management of Mr. Mitchell. There were besides, other exhibitors whose specimens were well worthy of note.—B. S. W.

MASDEVALLIA SHUTTLEWORTHII.
[Plate 5.]
Native of the United States of Colombia.

Epiphytal. _Rhizome_ slender, slowly creeping. _Leaves_ crowded,
petiolate, the petiole with a sheathing scale at the base, the blade
about equalling the petiole, two to three inches long,
elliptic-oblong, acute, pale green, obscurely three to five-nerved.
_Scapes_ numerous, slender, as long as or longer than the petioles,
green, with an ovate acuminate appressed bract at the top. _Flowers_
yellowish, tinted with rose, rather large for the size of the plant;
the perianth tube very short and swollen at the base; _dorsal sepal_
of a pale yellowish red, indistinctly dotted with pale rosy red spots,
and marked with from five to seven (or nine according to Reichenbach)
longitudinal wine-coloured nerves, fully an inch long, sub-erect,
concave or somewhat hooded, obovate, suddenly contracted into a tail
two or three times its own length, the tail green below and becoming
orange-yellow towards the tip; _lateral sepals_ obliquely ovate,
spreading, and decurved, thickly studded with deep red spots, and
tapering off into a tail similar to that of the dorsal sepal; _petals_
small, linear-oblong or ligulate, bilobed at the apex; _lip_ very
small, broadly oblong, recurved at the tip, with two keels or ridges
running down the centre. _Column_ short, three-toothed at the apex.

Masdevallia Shuttleworthii, _Reichenbach fil._ in _Gardeners’
Chronicle_, N.S. iii., 170; _Hooker fil._, _Botanical Magazine_, t.
6372.

Of this interesting plant, one of a popular genus inhabiting the cool temperate humid regions of Northern and Western South America, Professor Reichenbach, by whom it was dedicated to Mr. Shuttleworth, one of Mr. W. Bull’s collectors, remarks that it is “rather a nice thing amongst _Masdevallias_ of the second order of beauty.” It was first flowered in 1878 by W. H. Punchard, Esq., of Poulett Lodge, Twickenham. Our figure was prepared from a plant which has bloomed in our own collection recently. We find it to be a very free-blooming species.

The _Masdevallias_ comprise many interesting species and varieties, some of very remarkable structure, and others with colours of extraordinary richness and brilliancy. Our present subject is not one of the most showy, but it may be ranked with the more curious of the species, and is certainly of a distinct and pleasing character, as is well represented in our Plate. The plant was discovered by Mr. Shuttleworth, when travelling for Mr. Bull, and by him it was first transmitted to Europe. Since then we have received it from the same country through our own collector, Mr. Carder. The _Masdevallias_ are plentiful in their native habitats, but the difficulty of obtaining them in this country lies in the risks attending importation, which are mainly attributable to the fact that they have no thick fleshy bulbs to support them during their journey. We have heard of thousands of plants of this particular species having been sent off, but of these comparatively few have been received alive, so that unless some more successful means of introducing them into England can be found, it will always remain a rare plant.

_Masdevallia Shuttleworthii_ is of free-blooming habit, and the flowers last a long time in perfection. It generally blossoms during the spring and summer months. The plants require but little room, as the foliage is of neat growth, and the whole height of the plant does not exceed from six to eight inches. The leaves are of a dark green colour and firm texture. The flower-scapes proceed from the young growth, and attain the height of about eight inches, the more conspicuous spreading long-tailed sepals being of a pleasing yellowish rose colour thickly marked with wine-red spots, while the petals and lip are small and inconspicuous.

We find the plants grow well when potted in small pots or pans suspended from the roof, and filled with peat and sphagnum moss; but they require thorough drainage, since they need a liberal supply of water during summer. In the autumn and winter months they do not require so full a supply, but they must have sufficient to keep them moist. They thrive best in the same house with the _Odontoglots_, where they obtain shade, and are kept cool. None of the _Masdevallias_ like heat, and most of them require the same kind of treatment. The house in which they are grown should have a north aspect, so that they may not get too much sun-heat, as this causes the leaves to become spotted, to the great disfigurement of the plant.

Insects become a nuisance if allowed to accumulate on the plants. The thrips, which is one of their greatest insect enemies, constantly attacks them, and must be subdued by cleansing them frequently and thoroughly with a sponge and warm soft water.

The propagation of _Masdevallias_ is effected by dividing the plants, leaving a few old bulbs with a leading one in front. They are the easiest of all Orchids to increase, and are best divided up occasionally, as when the plants get too large they do not flower so freely. The most suitable time to perform this operation is just as they commence to make their growth. They should at first be put into small pots, and shifted into larger ones as they increase in size, and develope abundance of roots.

Lælia Philbrickiana.—This new Hybrid was exhibited at the Royal Horticultural Society, South Kensington, by the Messrs. Veitch and Sons. It was raised between _Cattleya Aclandiæ_ and _Lælia elegans_, partaking of the dwarf habit of _C. Aclandiæ_. The plant grows about eight inches high, and produces its leaves in pairs, of a dark green colour, about four inches in length; from between these the flower-sheaths proceed. The sepals and petals are of a glossy purplish crimson-brown, spotted with darker spots; the lip is of a bright crimson, the basal part purple and white. It blooms in June and July, and will be a very useful addition to our collections.—B. S. W.

CATTLEYA MORGANÆ.
[Plate 6.]
Native of the United States of Colombia.

Epiphytal. _Stems_ short, oblong or somewhat clavate, furrowed when
mature, attaining with the leaves about eighteen inches in height.
_Leaves_ solitary, coriaceous, ligulate-oblong, acute, of a light
green colour. _Scape_ three to four-flowered, issuing from a terminal
oblong compressed bract, which is about two and a half inches long.
_Flowers_ large and pleasing on account of their delicate colouring,
about six inches across when expanded; _sepals_ lanceolate, entire,
three-fourths of an inch broad and about three inches long, recurved
at the tip, white; _petals_ spreading, clawed, broadly ovate, fully
two inches across, the margin entire at the base and much undulated in
the anterior portion, white; _lip_ obovate, emarginate, about three
inches long, the basal portion entire and rolled over the column, the
anterior portion moderately expanded and beautifully frilled, white,
like the rest of the flower, with a small blotch of pale magenta near
the apex, but not quite extending to the margin, and stained on the
disk with an obcordate blotch of clear yellow, passing into
orange-yellow in the throat, the deeper portion being veined with
yellow lines. _Column_ concealed by the convolute base of the lip.

Cattleya Morganæ, _supra_.

One of the most chaste and charming of the summer-flowering _Cattleyas_, and quite distinct in aspect from all others in cultivation. We have great pleasure in dedicating it to Mrs. M. Morgan, of New York, who is a great admirer of this noble class of Orchidaceous plants, and, moreover, has a fine and valuable collection of them. The first specimen we bloomed produced ten flower spikes, and was exhibited at the Manchester Botanical and Horticultural Society’s Show in June, 1879; the plant was the admiration of all who saw it, and was on that occasion awarded a First Class Certificate on account of its distinct and pleasing character.

_Cattleya Morganæ_ belongs to the same section of the genus as _C. Mendelii_, of which section there are many races or varieties, all of which are beautiful and rich in the colouring of the lip, some having the sepals and petals white, while in others they are of a rosy hue, more or less intense. The plant now before us grows about eighteen inches in height, and has light green foliage with a somewhat drooping habit. It produces its flowers freely, as many as four together on the spike. The sepals and petals are pure white; and the lip is white with a light magenta blotch near the apex, its throat orange colour, the incurved base white, and the edge beautifully fringed. The flowers are produced in May and June, and last from five to six weeks in perfection. It makes a fine subject for decorative purposes, since its pure white flowers form a charming contrast with the high-coloured varieties of other species of _Cattleya_, of which there are many that come into bloom at about the same time.

_Cattleya Morganæ_ requires the same treatment as _C. Mendelii_ and _C. Mossiæ_, and will thrive well, grown either in a pot or basket, planted in good fibrous peat and sphagnum moss. It will also succeed on a block suspended from the roof. As in the case of the other _Cattleyas_, it prefers to have all the light possible, but to be just sufficiently shaded to keep off the direct rays of the sun. It must be borne in mind that the plants are found growing naturally on the branches and stems of trees in the forests, where they get some shade, and a free circulation of air, which it is of great benefit to secure, and which should be made a point of the utmost importance in the artificial cultivation of all Orchids, as of most other plants. It would be a great boon to cultivators if our collectors would note down and supply fuller and more precise information on these points, for although of course the natural conditions could not in all cases be carried out to the full extent, yet we should then be better able to imitate them, and thus supply the natural wants of the plants. In giving as much air and light as possible, however, cold draughts must be avoided, which may be effected by fixing the ventilators near the hot-water pipes, and should a cold wind prevail by giving air on the opposite side, always closing the house in good time. In summer water should be freely sprinkled about the tables and paths twice a day, namely, in the morning, and about three or four o’clock in the afternoon. During the dull dark days of winter, very little moisture is required, but on warm days some water may be given to the plants, especially in springtime when the days begin to lengthen. Syringing should be avoided during the winter, except in the case of those on blocks, for a little dewing with the syringe during the day, will not hurt these, as the moisture quickly dries off. The water should always be used in a tepid state.

One of the most important items in Orchid culture is cleanliness. Every plant should be cleansed as soon as any indications of insect life are perceived upon it, since there are Insecticides and other remedies sold to destroy all such pests. Cockroaches, Snails, and Woodlice are very troublesome, and should be well looked after at night when they come out to feed on the young shoots and flowers. Woodlice may be caught by laying down here and there traps, consisting of some moss, at night, or half potatos or turnips scooped out in the centre, and placed about in quiet nooks and corners, or on the pots; the woodlice will harbour under them, and may be caught and destroyed in the morning.

Cattleya gigas.—See note under Plate 2. We have since received a wonderfully grand flower of _Cattleya gigas_ from the fine collection of J. S. Bockett, Esq., of Stamford Hill; it is eight and a half inches in diameter; the sepals and petals are of a light rose colour, the lip three inches across, and three in length, of the richest crimson-magenta, margined with a lighter colour, and the throat partly magenta and partly orange. The spike bore four of these flowers.—B. S. W.

PROMENÆA CITRINA.
[Plate 7.]
Native of Brazil.

Epiphytal. _Pseudobulbs_ small, ovate, tetragonal. _Leaves_ three to
four inches in length, oblong-ligulate, acute, tapering below into a
narrow petiole, growing two together at the apex of the pseudobulb, of
a pale green colour. _Scapes_ two to three inches long, bearing
largish ovate bracts in the upper part, and smaller bracts below, and
terminated by a solitary deep yellow showy flower, measuring about an
inch and a half across; _sepals_ obovate, acute, concave or curving
forwards at the tip, bright yellow; _petals_ yellow, also converging,
similar to the sepals in size, form, and colouring; _lip_ larger and
broader than the sepals and petals, spreading, three-lobed, the two
lateral lobes erect, oblong obtuse, rising up on each side of the
column, yellow spotted with red on the inner face, the front lobe
plane, obovate, apiculate, unspotted yellow, with a prominent crest at
its base. _Column_ erect, semi-terete, incurved, stained in the front
with brownish red.

Promenæa citrina, _Don_, _Hortus Cantabrigiensis_, ed. 13, 720 (1845);
_London_, _Hortus Britannicus Supp._ 618 (1850); _Williams_, _Orchid
Growers’ Manual_, ed. 4, 253, ed. 5, 281; _Rand_, _Orchids_, 377.

Maxillaria citrina, _Lyons_, _Treatise on Orchidaceous Plants_, 176.

_Promenæa_ is a small genus of Orchids which was separated from _Maxillaria_ about forty years ago (1843) by Lindley, who at the same time also dissociated from it the plants respectively referred to _Warrea_, _Paphinia_, _Lycaste_, and _Scuticaria_. Later on Reichenbach classed _Promenæa_ as a section of _Zygopetalum_. Dr. Lindley distinguished the group of species which he referred to _Promenæa_, and which he regarded as fully entitled to generic rank, by the following peculiar features, namely, their spreading sepals, their three-lobed lip, crested or tuberculate at the base, their short semi-terete column, and their ovate glandule with four, that is two double, sessile pollen masses. The species then proposed were _P. stapelioides_, _P. xanthina_, _P. lentiginosa_, _P. Rollissonii_, and _P. graminea_. To these Reichenbach added _P. guttata_ in 1856, and _P. microptera_ in 1881. Neither of these authorities, so far as we can trace, refer to _P. citrina_; but, according to Don and Loudon, the plant was introduced to our gardens in 1840, though they attribute to it the erroneous habitat of Mexico. Our good friend, Professor Reichenbach, suggests that it is a garden name, sometimes applied to _P. Rollissonii_ and sometimes to _P. guttata_; but it has long been recognised as a distinct plant by English and Continental Orchid growers, and is certainly different from the _P. Rollissonii_ figured by Dr. Lindley; nor does it correspond with the description of _P. guttata_, so far as the materials at hand enable us to judge.

This, it will be seen, is a very neat-growing plant, the small tetragonal pseudobulbs slowly creeping over the surface of the blocks on which the plants are grown. It is, moreover, of small stature, the leaves, which grow in pairs from the top of the pseudobulbs, rarely exceeding three or four inches in height, and the flower-scapes attaining even less elevation. The flowers, which are rather large for so small a plant, being of a rich and brilliant colour, become rather effective; and though, of course, they do not compare at all in gorgeous beauty with those of many of the larger-flowered Orchids, they are by no means to be despised even from the decorative point of View; indeed, when grown on a block, as represented in the accompanying Plate, and suspended from the roof of the house, the plant forms a very pretty and distinct object, occupying, as it does, but a small space in which it displays much beauty and attractiveness. The bright orange-yellow flowers are, moreover, very freely produced, and if kept dry, continue for a long time in a fresh and pleasing condition.

There is another species of the same habit, _Promenæa stapelioides_, which comes into bloom about the same time as this, and in which the flowers are spotted with dark purple, so that they appear to be nearly black. The contrast of these two when grown and flowered on the same block is very effective. In the noble collection of Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., M.P., we saw a large pan-full of _P. citrina_ growing freely, which had a very beautiful appearance, but we prefer to see the plant grown on a block, as in this manner the flowers hang downwards, and are shown off to much greater advantage. There are certain varieties to be occasionally met with, in which the flowers are without spots on the lip, but those which have this latter peculiarity are to be preferred, as the two colours afford a pleasant relief.

Fibrous peat and sphagnum moss seem to suit the plant well when it is grown in either pots or pans; but when cultivated on blocks of wood, a little sphagnum moss only about its roots will be quite sufficient, though if grown in this latter way it requires a more liberal and more frequent supply of water, in order to keep the roots moist. We find the Cattleya-house to suit it best, and we grow it suspended against a wall at the end of the house, where it gets syringed in warm weather. The manner in which its blooms are produced may be seen from our Illustration, which is an excellent representation of the habit of the plant, not only as regards its general manner of growth, but also of its mode of flowering.

CYPRIPEDIUM STONEI.
[Plate 8.]
Native of Borneo.

Terrestrial. _Stem_ wanting, the short erect crowns each furnished
with numerous radical evergreen leaves, and emitting stout fleshy
roots. _Leaves_ distichous (two-ranked), a foot or more in length,
leathery or somewhat fleshy, oblong, obtuse, with a short recurved
mucro, dark green above, of a paler green beneath. _Scape_ dark
purple, issuing from the centre of the leaves and furnished with a
sheathing bract at its base, about two feet in height, three to
four-flowered, the pedicels subtended by green lanceolate acuminate
bracts. _Flowers_ large, richly-coloured, measuring when spread out
four inches in the direction of the sepals, and nine to ten inches in
that of the petals; _dorsal sepal_ broadly cordate, acuminate, nearly
two inches broad, white, marked in front with a bold central, and on
each side with two or three curved lateral stripes of deep
purple-brown, keeled behind, and there stained with purple-brown;
_lateral sepals_ (united) ovate-acuminate, with a central and on each
side three lateral stripes extending nearly to the base,
greenish-white, edged with purple-brown; _petals_ set at a right angle
to the sepals, one-fourth of an inch broad, five inches long, tapering
gradually to the apex, decurved, greenish-white with dark purple-brown
veins and spots, becoming wholly purple at the tip, and having near
the base a purple margin, and a few scattered marginal purple hairs;
_lip_ large, prominent, calceoliform, the basal portion unguiculate
from the introflexion of the margin, greenish, the apex large,
pouch-shaped, like the front of a shoe or slipper, dull purplish-red
reticulately veined with darker purple. _Column_ white, with a ring of
yellow hairs at the base, two-branched, the lower branch three-lobed,
the later lobes bearing each a small orbicular sessile yellow anther,
the terminal lobe forming a large white ovate fleshy disk (abortive
third stamen) the upper or stigmatic branch cordate-obovate, convex,
whitish, tinged with purple, and fringed at the back and sides with
yellow hairs.

Cypripedium Stonei, _Low_; _Hooker_, _Botanical Magazine_, t. 5349;
_Van Houtte_, _Flore des Serres_, xvii., t. 1792-3; _Lemaire_,
_Illustration Horticole_, ix., p. 107; x. t. 355; _Bateman_, _2nd
Century of Orchidaceous Plants_, t. 141; _Jennings_, _Orchids_, t. 12.

This magnificent plant is one of the most beautiful species of the genus _Cypripedium_. Several varieties of it are known, and though they are all good and well worth growing, that which we have selected for illustration is the best and darkest that has come under our notice. The plant from which our figure was taken, bloomed in the Victoria Nursery, and had five flower-spikes, two of which have been in bloom for the past six weeks, and are now as fresh as ever.

_Cypripedium Stonei_ was first flowered by Mr. Stone, gardener to John Day, Esq., of High Cross, Tottenham, after whom it has been named. It was for a long period a very rare species, and, indeed now, though small plants may be purchased for a moderate sum, yet large specimens are scarce and valuable. It makes a fine show plant, its lasting qualities being a great recommendation to it, both from an exhibition and decorative point of view.

The plant is a native of Borneo, and was introduced to this country by the Messrs. Low, of Clapton. It produces dark green foliage of about twelve or in some of the varieties we have seen as much as fifteen inches in length. From the centre of this tuft of leaves the flower-spikes are produced and rise to a height of about two feet, each bearing three or four of its large slipper-shaped blossoms, which are the most exact representations of a shoe or slipper of those of any of the species, and most completely justify the trivial name of the genus, Lady’s Slipper. The sepals are large, white, striped on the veins or nerves, with dark purple, and tinged with yellow; the petals are five inches in length, and are yellowish, streaked and blotched with purple; and the lip is large and of a dull reddish-purple, veined with deeper purple-red. It is of free-blooming habit, and when the growths are strong it produces a flower-spike from each crown, but it takes some considerable time to complete its growth before it sends forth its spikes; indeed, it begins to grow soon after its blossoms have faded. The plant having no thick fleshy bulbs from which to derive support, requires a more continuous supply of moisture than many other Orchids. The roots are coarse and fleshy, and should in consequence be supplied with a stronger soil than is required by some of the other kinds. We find it to thrive best in good fibrous loam, with a small quantity of charcoal, and a little leaf-mould or peat, all being well mixed together, giving the pots good drainage, but not so much as is required in the case of _Cattleyas_, for example. As it is a strong rooting plant, it is best grown in a pot, and should be a little elevated above the rim. We have found the East India house to supply the most suitable atmospheric conditions in which to cultivate it; here it should be placed on the side-tables near the light, but out of the sun. The finest specimen we have seen exhibited was staged by Mr. Child, gardener to Mrs. Torr, Garbrand Hall, Ewell, Surrey, at the South Kensington Show, in 1878.

There is a very distinct variety of this plant called _Cypripedium Stonei platytænium_, of which a figure has been lately published in Mr. Warner’s _Select Orchidaceous Plants_, 3 ser., t. 16. Of this form, living plants were till recently only to be found in the collection of John Day, Esq., but they were distributed when that collection was recently dispersed by auction sales, and were purchased at high prices by Baron Schröder and Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., M.P., in whose collections they may now be seen. This variety is just like _C. Stonei_ in its growth, and the flowers are closely similar, the chief difference being, that the petals are shorter and broader, and resemble those of _C. superbiens_.

LÆLIA PURPURATA WILLIAMSII.
[Plates 9-10.]
Native of St. Catherine’s, Brazil.