Pi aii: Will. 





VAN DA CCERULEA 



\ itoblp epiphyte, with creel leafy Mem*, the leaves leather) in texture, rtfoticliou* iu . oent, *tiap-thapcd, 



equall) truncate at tho lop, with a concave notch, and acute lateral lobes, The flowin* (which grow in eiwl 

 spikes, issuing from the axils of tho leaves, anil sometimes is tnueh - ■ i*hte*n incite* long, In irinfl from 

 fourteen t<> twenty flowen cm each), arc four nnd a half inches acroja; the icpaUand pctaUarc large, 

 oblong obtuse, Bubunguiculato. the pctnli twisted ai thci base, mcmbranacfoiu, of a delicate lavender-blue, 

 barred with deeper markings; the Hp is smnll, of .» deep violet colour, linear-oblong, divergently two»Ioh 

 tho blanl u\k l> iring llirec parallel ; ■ ular plate* on it* diak v and having a pair of triangular acumi- 



nate lobes 01 nt its base. The flower* have a abort, blunt, curved spur, itnooth within; and tlic bracts 



bj which thej are subtended are concave, oblong, obi 

 \'\sv\ m\M\ \. Griffith Af&i Undhy, iMwuwi Jfey&frr, I s -T. under \> -it); /& Portal's Pldwer (Jonfctf, i. t. 38; 

 1*1. Potia Qrt&ida&at arl \ anda, S; tit ul* tihuh JiL Xeafo Orchiilacta, i. 8. t. 5< 



This plant i> without exception the fines) of the Fondas* li i- an Indian spirits, and was lir?l 

 discovered hy Mr. Griffith amongst Ihe Khnsya lulls growing on lives of Oordortia f in the pine and oak 

 forces erf tlial region, It was introduced by Mr, Thomas Lobb to the nursery of Messrs. Veileh and Son, by 

 whom it was shown al one of the Horticultural meeting* in Regent Street many ycaw since, creating 

 quite a <en«ation amongst the Orchid growers who witnessed it 



Tin- vtry beautiful (Trowing now published, and which by no means exaggerates the grandeur of the 

 plant, ww taken from a specimen in the collection of Walter Bock, Esq., of Worton Collage, Islcworth, 

 a gentleman whose Collection, though not huge, contains nevertheless some of the rarest plants of the 

 family! all cultivated with great skill bj Mr. Wiggins, the gardener. In the Worton collection there are 

 two Cnc plants of Vando atrut*a % bul of different varieties as regards the sue and colour of the flowers- 

 The sample which we now n 'present, from a plant in tl,c mwl l )erfccI health, h the finest we have ever 

 witnessed, the - 1 >i k t - having l>orno nineteen fully expanded Dowers, each measuring four and a half inches 

 across Th> p. -^ is found difficult to cultivate liy many growers j indeed, wc rarely sec a good s|*ciincn, 

 which is much to bo regretted. ;\- it is one of l he finest and most distinct of our Orchids, and of a eolour 

 much needed amongst them : besides having the good property of producing fine spikes of (lowers on small 

 plants, whereas most of our rondos do not flower until they have grown lo a large size. 



Fonda carnlea b now scarce in collections which must he accounted for by it- not getting the treat- 

 ment which it requires, and by the consequent losses not having been made good by fresh importations from 

 its native country. Another reason for its scarceness is that it is dow-growing, and not so easily propa- 

 gated a^ ■ of the otiter Vandal, which arc free-growing, and produce numerous young shoots from the 



lower part of the stem- When in good health the plain b of compart habit, and is fornished with dark-green 

 foliage, which is about six inches it* length ; tho Bower-spikes, which arc produced from the axib of the 

 leaves, are sometimes eighteen inches long, with as many as nineteen blossoms expanded at one time, each 

 measuring four and a half inches from tip to tip of the tavcndewoloured sepals and petals. It generally 

 bl as during the autumn months, and continues in perfection for about sfc weeks provided the Howe* are 



kept drv and cool. 



Tliifl JM bfiwri growing on the branch** of Ikcs Dear riven, circumstances whic1i.nd.calc thai 



