Chapter II: Part 2

Epiphytal. _Stems_ (or pseudobulbs) clavate-oblong, monophyllous, two
feet or more in height, somewhat furrowed when mature. _Leaves_
coriaceous, evergreen, narrowly oblong, emarginate, dark green.
_Scape_ three to four-flowered, issuing from a stout sheathing oblong
bract or spathe, four to five inches long. _Flowers_ large, and very
handsome; measuring eight inches across, of a delicate rose colour,
with a purple-crimson lip; _sepals_ linear-lanceolate, acute, of a
pale rosy tint, pencilled with simple rosy-purple longitudinal lines;
_petals_ oblong-lanceolate, obtuse, of a beautiful delicate rose
colour, pencilled with divergent forked lines of deeper purple; _lip_
(labellum) three-lobed, the lateral lobes obsolete, convolute around
the column, the front lobe large, broad, and roundish, of a rich dark
crimson-magenta, the tip paler and reticulately veined, and the throat
yellow, beautifully veined with crimson-magenta. _Column_ scarcely
reaching to the middle of the convolute base of the lip.

Lælia purpurata Williamsii, _Hort._; _Williams’ Orchid Grower’s
Manual_, ed. 4, 196; ed. 5, 208.

The species, of which this is one of the finest known varieties, and the genus _Lælia_ to which it belongs, together with the neighbouring genus _Cattleya_, are placed by the great Orchidist, Reichenbach, in his amplified genus _Bletia_, so that the _Lælia purpurata_ of Lindley, in _Paxton’s Flower Garden_, becomes the _Bletia purpurata_ of Reichenbach in _Walpers’ Annales_, vi. 423. The name of _Lælia_ is, however, that which is adopted amongst cultivators of Orchids.

The _Lælia_ which we have now to describe, was named many years ago in the _Orchid Grower’s Manual_, when it was exhibited at the Crystal Palace and received its present appellation. The plant now represented was flowered at the Victoria and Paradise Nurseries, but has now passed into the select collection of Baron Schröder, of The Dell, near Staines. It was a wonderfully strong plant, and produced two spikes of its highly coloured blossoms, which led all those who saw it in its beauty, to pronounce it to be the finest _Lælia_ they had ever witnessed. Our artist has given a good representation of the plant and its blossoms. The club-shaped stems and foliage stood thirty inches in height, and were provided with very strong sheathing bracts whence the flower-spikes issued, each bearing four flowers, which were individually eight inches in diameter. It has bloomed with us in the same style for two successive years. The plant that we flowered some years ago was not so large as that now figured, the reason being that it was not so strong a specimen, and, therefore, not able to produce such fine flowers. This is sufficient evidence of the advance the plants make before they get to their full strength and vigour. In the variety before us the sepals and petals are of a delicate rose, veined with a beautiful dark tint of the same colour, while the lip is very broad, large, and splendidly coloured, the prominent parts of a rich dark crimson-magenta, paler and veiny at the tip, and beautifully veined with crimson on the yellow ground-colour of the throat. The blooming season is in May and June, the flowers continuing in perfection for three or four weeks, if kept free from damp and in a dry place. We have a house set aside specially for Orchids when in flower, and in it very little moisture is used, by which means we seldom get the flowers spotted or prematurely decayed.

There is another fine form of _Lælia purpurata_ with white sepals and petals that are quite flat, not at all recurved; this variety has a rich dark crimson-magenta lip. We exhibited this form with nine flower spikes at the Regent’s Park Exhibition, and it produced a grand effect. There are many other fine varieties.

_Lælia purpurata_ when well cultivated is a good looking plant, and even when not in bloom it is an object of attraction, on account of its stately evergreen foliage. It is a native of Brazil, and is found growing on the branches of trees on the outskirts of the forests where the plants get light, and are yet shaded from the burning sun. They are best grown in the Cattleya-house, and will thrive either in pots or baskets, but we find the pot system the best, as they are strong growing plants, and require ample space to bring them to perfection. They are the better for being moved about, especially if they are required for exhibition. There are no more showy Orchids for exhibition purposes, and this is especially true of such varieties as that now before us.

We find that they thrive best in good fibrous peat, and some live sphagnum moss on a part of the surface; when in a growing state the moss keeps them moist without too much water being given whilst they are making their growth. In watering them be careful not to wet the young shoots. The pots should be three parts filled with drainage, which must be formed of broken pots and lumps of charcoal intermixed. The plants must be elevated about two inches above the rim of the pot. The best time to pot them is after they have done blooming just as they begin to make new growths, and before the roots start, when they will soon commence to work into the clean sweet peat. If the plant is in a sufficiently large pot, and the soil about it is sweet and clean, it will not require re-potting, but it will benefit the plants greatly to give them some fresh fibrous peat just before they begin to root, as the old soil is apt to become hard and inert through constant watering. They require to be kept moist during the growing season, but must not even then be soddened with water. In winter only just sufficient must be given them to keep them moist, and to prevent their stems and leaves from shriveling.

PHALÆNOPSIS AMABILIS DAYANA.
[Plate 11.]
Native of the Eastern Archipelago.

Epiphytal. _Stem_ none, or consisting of a short crown furnished with
rigid fleshy leaves, and emitting succulent roots, which latter are
flattened, and cling to any congenial object with which they come in
contact. _Leaves_ large, thick and coriaceous, distichous, oblong,
obliquely retuse, dark green above, purple beneath. _Scape_ long,
drooping, issuing from the base of the plant, or the leaf axils, and
bearing the large moth-like flowers in a two-ranked raceme. _Flowers_
large, pure opaque white, spreading, the lip beautifully coloured;
_sepals_ oblong-obtuse, white, the lower ones prettily dotted with
carmine; _petals_ larger and broader, sub-rhomboid, narrowed towards
the base, pure white; _lip_ furnished with a callus at the base,
smaller than the petals, three-lobed, the lateral lobes ovate obtuse,
ascending or incurved, yellowish along the antical margin and dotted
with carmine-crimson near the base, the central lobe trowel-shaped,
carmine-crimson across the base and at the edge, and marked with a
central crimson stripe; the lip is concave, bearing at the narrowed
apex two incurved twisted white cirrhi. _Column_ semi-terete,
recumbent on the ovary.

Phalænopsis amabilis Dayana, _Hort._

The genus _Phalænopsis_ belongs to the tribe _Vandeæ_, which is distinguished amongst those with waxy pollen-masses, by having these attached to a distinct caudicle, united to a deciduous stigmatic gland. It no doubt comprises several of our finest Orchids, which are prized no less on account of the graceful development of their inflorescence than for the attractive white blossoms of the more familiar species. Our drawing of the charming _Phalænopsis amabilis Dayana_ here figured, was taken from a fine specimen in the collection of W. Lee, Esq., of Downside, Leatherhead, who was kind enough to allow us to publish an illustration of it. The variety is very rare; indeed, we believe this is the only specimen known to be in cultivation in this country. It was named in compliment to John Day, Esq., of Tottenham, from whose collection it was obtained by Mr. Lee. From the markings about the base of the lip it will be seen to be very distinct, though it is no doubt a form of _P. amabilis_, with which it agrees in foliage and in the general character of the flowers, but differs in the distinct markings just referred to. The plant grows to about the same size as _P. amabilis_.

There is at Downside a grand collection of _Phalænopsids_, which are especially well managed by Mr. Woolford, the gardener. They are great favourites with Mr. Lee, and he has built a house to meet their special wants. This is undoubtedly a good plan to adopt where there is such a fine and comprehensive set of plants as are to be found in this establishment, since they require different treatment to most other Orchids. They have thick fleshy leaves, and the stems of the plant are also fleshy, while, unlike many Orchids, they have no thick pseudobulbs from which to derive support; hence it follows that they require more moisture than many others. We do not, however, agree with giving them so much as we often see supplied. One great advantage of having a separate house for them is that their individual treatment and wants can be more carefully studied and more exactly met.

We have seen _Phalænopsids_ grown well amongst other East Indian Orchids. For instance, we exhibited a plant so grown of _Phalænopsis grandiflora_ for ten successive years at the Chiswick and Regent’s Park Exhibitions, and at several shows during each year, and it generally bore from sixty to seventy blossoms. This was the variety imported from Java, which we consider the best, as it produces more flowers than the variety from Borneo. We see that growers now-a-days are obliged to put several plants together in order to make a specimen fit for exhibition. There were others who about that time also exhibited these large plants, and, amongst them Mr. Kinghorn showed at Chiswick a wonderful specimen, bearing the best flower-spike we have ever seen.

_Phalænopsis amabilis Dayana_ requires the same treatment as _P. grandiflora_ and _P. amabilis_, and will do either in a pot, basket, or pan, suspended from the roof. It will also thrive on the side stages, but in this case requires to be elevated so that the roots can hang free, for they are abundant rooting plants. If suspended from the roof the plants have more room to throw out their thick fleshy roots, and in this way they approach nearer to the manner in which they grow in their native habitats, for they are found on the branches and stems of trees, where they obtain a free circulation of air. When thus suspended they get without restraint the fresh air that circulates through the house. They can also be cultivated on blocks, but under these circumstances they will require to be more freely supplied with moisture. These are plants that like plenty of light, but they must be shielded from the sun by shading. The best material to grow them in is sphagnum moss, with good drainage, and they require to be kept moist all the year round. In warm weather they of course require more than in winter, when just a sufficient quantity to keep the moss in a moist condition will be all that they will need. It is imperative never to allow water to reach the heart of the plant, for that will sometimes induce it to rot, and will often cause the leaves to go spotted.

The plants must, of necessity, be kept free from insects. Sometimes the thrips will attack them, but this should be cleaned off. To be thoroughly successful with Orchids they require constant watching. Cockroaches are a great pest to all those that throw out thick fleshy roots, which they injure by gnawing them off, thereby weakening the constitution of the plant. J. S. Bockett, Esq., of Stamford Hill, has one of the finest grown collections of _Phalænopsis_ we have ever seen, but this, of course, has been in process of formation for years, and the plants have become large established specimens.

ONCIDIUM GARDNERI.
[Plate 12.]
Native of the Organ Mountains of Brazil.

Epiphytal. _Pseudobulbs_ oblong-ovate, furrowed, about two inches in
height, dark green, purplish beneath. _Leaves_ oblong-lanceolate,
acute, coriaceous, about six inches long, growing two together from
the apex of the pseudobulbs. _Scape_ one and a half foot high,
including the panicle of handsome flowers, lateral, that is, springing
from the base of the pseudobulbs. _Flowers_ showy, of medium size,
deliciously fragrant; _sepals_ oblong, acute, the lateral ones
semi-connate; _petals_ twice as large as the sepals, roundish in
outline, clawed at the base, the edges undulated, and as well as the
bars across the sepals of a light chestnut or bronzy brown colour with
a narrow margin of pale yellow; _lip_ large, three-lobed, the middle
lobe large, transversely emarginate, bright yellow, with a belt of
confluent parallel oblong chestnut brown blotches just within the
margin, the lateral lobes auriculæform, obsolete, yellow; the crests
of the lip consist of two pairs of tubercles with the intermediate
space warted. _Column_ furnished with dwarf roundish wings.

Oncidium Gardneri, _Lindley_, _London Journal of Botany_, ii., 662;
_Id._ _Folia Orchidacea_, art. _Oncidium_, 19; _Reichenbach fil._, in
_Walpers’ Annales Botanices Systematicæ_, vi. 728.

This charming Orchid is very nearly related to _Oncidium curtum_, _O. prætextum_, and _O. amictum_. It belongs to an extensive genus of Vandeous Orchids, many of the species of which are exceedingly beautiful on account of the brilliancy of their flowers, which are mostly of a bright yellow colour, often prettily spotted, and generally produced in graceful spikes or panicles. No collection should be without some of the best and most ornamental of them. The figure which we now publish represents a very charming Brazilian species, one of the best forms of the plant we have seen. Our drawing was made from a specimen in the select and varied collection of W. Vanner, Esq., of Chislehurst, who was kind enough to permit our artist to avail himself of it. This collection occupies several houses which are respectively filled with species belonging to the different groups or classes, and among which are some very rare specimens, all well cultivated by Mr. Milford, the gardener, who, for many years has been a successful grower of Orchids.

_Oncidium Gardneri_ is a compact growing plant, furnished with dark green pseudobulbs, which are from two to three inches in height. The foliage is also dark green in colour, and about six inches in length. The flowers are very freely produced in branching spikes or panicles, and are generally developed in June and July, lasting for several weeks in perfection. The sepals and petals are brown, narrowly margined with pale yellow. The lip is large, of a bright golden-yellow colour, margined with bright brown oblong parallel blotches. The flowers, moreover, are deliciously scented. There are many varieties of this plant, all of which are worth growing, since they take up but little space, and when grown in quantity, produce a good effect. We saw about fifty spikes of the different varieties, some in bloom, and others showing, in the collection of C. G. Hill, Esq., of Arnot Hill, near Nottingham, and we shall not soon forget the effect produced, as the group of plants appeared to be one mass of bloom. By cultivating plants of this character space may be economised, since they grow as freely on blocks as in baskets. We also find them to thrive well in small pans suspended from the roof of the Cattleya-house or in any situation affording them the same temperature, with very slight shading from the sun. They are best grown near the glass, so that they may get all the light possible. As a root medium, a mixture of good sphagnum moss and fibrous peat suits them best, but the plants must have good drainage, since they must be kept moist during the growing season, though when at rest a more limited supply will suffice—just sufficient being given to keep the bulbs plump, for on the other hand, it is not a plant that likes to be dried up. The bulbs sometimes shrivel when they flower too freely; if this is observed do not allow the blossoms to remain too long on the plants, as they will keep a good time in water when cut from the plant. Being of a graceful character they are well adapted for the decoration of drawing-room stands, in which, if intermixed with foliage and other flowers, they help to produce a very charming effect. Indeed no flowers are so useful as Orchids for decorative purposes, as they last so long when cut.

Lælia Dominiana rosea.—This is the finest hybrid _Lælia_ that has come under our notice. It is the result of a cross between _Cattleya Dowiana_, and _C. exoniensis_, and the parentage is very evident in the novel form thus obtained. The lip is like that of _C. Dowiana_, of a rich purple-crimson, crisped at the margin; the sepals and petals are of a pale lilac colour. It is a most beautiful _Lælia_, and is named in honour of Mr. Dominy, who has been most successful in raising seedling Orchids. There have been many wonderful hybrids brought out by the Messrs. Veitch and Sons, through the indefatigable exertions of Mr. Dominy, who has long been known as one of the oldest and most successful of Orchid growers, and whose name will be kept in remembrance as long as Orchids are cultivated.—B. S. W.

DENDROBIUM SUAVISSIMUM.
[Plate 13.]
Native of Burmah.

Epiphytal. _Stems_ (or pseudobulbs) about a foot long,
cuneately-fusiform, tapering below into a longish stalk-like base,
bluntly angulate, bearing one or two pairs of leaves at the top, and
invested below with close ovate membranaceous bracts. _Leaves_
somewhat coriaceous, oblong-ligulate, cuneate at the base and acute at
the apex. _Flower-spikes_ ten to twelve inches long, bracteate at the
base, terminal or nearly terminal, produced freely on the two-year-old
stems. _Flowers_ large, showy, numerous, of a brilliant yellow;
_sepals_ ligulate acute, bright golden yellow; _petals_ broader,
cuneately-oblong, obtusely-acute, of the same colour as the sepals;
_lip_ (labellum) deep bright yellow, marked on the disk with a broad
curved band of rich dark sanguineous purple, almost black, cucullate,
cuneate-oblong at the base, where it is folded over the column,
roundish and emarginate in front, undulate and ciliolate at the
margin, densely asperulous with erect acute papillæ forming a close
crispy covering over the surface.

Dendrobium suavissimum, _Reichenbach fil._, in _Gardeners’ Chronicle_,
N.S., i. 406; v. 756.

This fine Dendrobe, of which Reichenbach remarks:—“I believe it is one of the best _Dendrobia_ ever imported,” was introduced in 1873 by Mr. Low, of Clapton, as recorded in the _Gardeners’ Chronicle_ for 1874 (N.S., i. 406), where it was first described. It is again referred to in the same publication in 1876 (N.S., v. 756), where the German Professor remarks:—“The species stands indeed, as has been stated before, close to _Dendrobium chrysotoxum_. The flowers are smaller, the fringe is made by much shorter papillæ, the chin is shorter, the petals are narrower, the lip does not expand to an open mass, but its lateral parts keep bent over the base, thus forming a cucullate body so as to allow the beautiful dark blackish spot to be seen, and which contrasts so well with the deep yellow of the flower. There are also a few blackish streaks on each side of the base of the lip.”

_Dendrobium suavissimum_ is one of the most beautiful species of the yellow-flowered section of this vast genus, and one that is much admired and sought after by Orchid growers. The accompanying plate is a good representation of the plant, and from this it will be seen that it is one of the most attractive of summer-flowering Orchids. Our sketch was taken from a specimen exhibited by us during the present year, at the Royal Botanic Society’s Garden in the Regent’s Park.

Formerly this was a very rare plant, but within the last few years it has been sent home in considerable quantities by collectors, and it has in consequence become comparatively cheap. In growth it resembles _Dendrobium chrysotoxum_, but the flowers are much more showy; in _D. chrysotoxum_ they are wholly yellow, whereas in this species there is a large sanguineous purple blotch on the lip, forming a striking contrast to the rich golden yellow of the sepals and petals; in addition to this they are sweet-scented. The plant is of free-flowering habit, and when well-grown produces finely-developed flower-spikes. We have seen as many as three spikes proceeding from a single stem.

In habit of growth _Dendrobium suavissimum_ is very compact. The stems or pseudobulbs are about a foot in height, and furnished with one or two pairs of dark green leaves at the apex. The flower-spikes proceed from the tops of the two-year-old bulbs, and average from ten to twelve inches in length. The stems will sometimes produce spikes for several years in succession. The flowers last from two to three weeks in perfection if kept from damp.

Like other Dendrobiums, this species is found growing on the trunks and branches of trees in positions where it gets plenty of light and air. With us it thrives well grown in a basket suspended near the roof, so as to obtain all the light and air possible; the bulbs thus become well matured. The best material for growing it in is sound sweet fibrous peat, with a good supply of drainage. The plants should be watered liberally at the roots during the period of growth, which is after they have done blooming. The temperature that suits them best is that of the East India-house while they are making their growth; but when the growth is completed very little water should be given them until they begin to show their spikes in spring, when it may be increased, as it will assist them to produce stronger spikes. The plant is propagated by division; two or more old bulbs should be taken off with a young growth in front. Insects should be well looked after, and when found be speedily removed.

TRICHOPILIA SUAVIS ALBA.
[Plate 14.]
Native of Central America.

Epiphytal, _Pseudobulbs_ roundish-oblong or obcordate, thin, _i.e._,
very much compressed, clustered, monophyllous. _Leaves_ broadly
oblong, acute, leathery in texture, almost sessile, of a pale green
colour. _Scapes_ radical, two to four-flowered, pendent. _Flowers_
large, showy, and fragrant, each emerging from the axil of a thin
ovate bract. _Sepals_ linear-lanceolate, acute, somewhat undulated,
spreading, and, as well as the similarly-formed _petals_, of a pure
white colour; _lip_ large, rolled up closely at the base, suddenly
expanded upwards so as to become funnel-shaped, and then spread out
into a large oblique limb, which is three-lobed, with the edges wavy
and crisped, the middle lobe larger, slightly deflexed and emarginate
or bilobed: _Column_ elongate, terete, bearing at the back of the
anther a hood of three fimbriated lobes.

Trichopilia suavis, _Lindley_, in _Paxton’s Flower Garden_, i. 44; 53,
t. 11; _Hooker_, _Botanical Magazine_, t. 4654; _Van Houtte_, _Flore
des Serres_, viii. 761; _Lemaire_, _Jardin Fleuriste_, iii. 277;
_Reichenbach fil._, in _Walpers’ Annales Botanices Systematicæ_, iii.
553, et vi. 681.

_Var._ ALBA: flowers pure white, the lip with a yellow blotch in the
throat.

Trichopilia suavis alba, _Hort._

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.