Plate 11. 



IMIAL.KNOrSlS INTERMEDIA PORTEI. 



A Mcmlcss epiphyte, producing n few brood, oblong, acute leaves, and an arching raceme of handsomely coloured 

 blosmms. The iwptU ore oblong and spreading, am!, ai well as tho broader rhomboid petals, ate white, and 

 not spotted at iho base, as in tin- type. The li|> in rich rose, threc-lobcd. the lateral lobe-* erect, bluntly wedge- 

 shaped, ihe middle, one orate, with the two short cinhi at the apex Btaiiding forward. 



PllAl-CNorsis ISTKliMKlrtA, tar. PORTEI, llticlwubaeh Jit., Botatiucfa ZeitUttff, xxi 128. 



Of PliateiiopsU intermedia itself, the P. LobbU of some gardens, Dr. I.indlcy lias remarked :— " II j. 

 iiol improbable that this beautiful plant is a natural mule between P. arnabUu ami /'. rosea. It agrees 

 with Ihe former in foliage nml in (he tendrils of the lip; Willi the latter in colour, in the neutcness of its 

 petals, and in the peculiar form of the middle lobes of the lip." The variety now figured, a plant, as our 

 drawing shows, of no inconsiderable beauty, was found by M. Porte during his residence in the Philippines. 



The species of Phaianoptit are among the finest of Orchids, and that which wc now figure is one of 

 the most beautiful and distinct. Oar drawing was taken from a line example in our own collection, which 

 bloomed for tho lirst time three years since, and now (lowers annually, continuing in blossom for several 

 months in succession, notwithstanding which the plant grows vigorously, and lias even produced on Ihe old 

 flower-stem n young plant, which has a good flower-spike. This Pnataito/ma is quite distinct as regards ii, 

 flower, hut the growth and foliage are very much like those of P. yrandijlora ; P. twutbM* seems to be 

 intermediate between the two. The upper surface of the leaf is of a light-green, while the under side is 

 more like aoiabilis. This plant, the only one he saw in bloom, was collected by AL I'ortc five years since. 

 It was growing by the side of ihe beautiful /*. Sehffleriana, and was sent home in the same box together 

 with /'. amabilie and /'. rosea. We suspect, from its appearance, that it must be a mule between amabilis 

 and rosea. Our specimen was supposed to he the only plant in the country, but hist year Mr. Lees, 

 gardener to tho Earl of Haddington, at Tynninghara, flowered one which had been purchased as amabilis, 

 and was imported with the plants obove mentioned. This latter plant produced leaves twelve inches in 

 length, and bore three branching spikes. It was grown ii|>nn a large block of wood standing eighteen 

 incite- above the pot in which ii was plunged— a capital plan, for the roots cling to the wood, as it is 

 natural for them to do. Often when Ihe plants are potted the roots rot away, nnd the utmost care is then 

 necessary to prevent the plant from dying. We find the safes) plan, if the moss becomes decayed, is to 

 lake it entirely away, and cm oil' all the decayed roots, which encourages the plant to make fresh ones. 



A great many plants of I'halmiopsis arc hist through bad cultivation,— perhaps more than of am 

 genus of Orchids. The reason is. that they gel too much water and heal, which causes them to push away 

 too luxuriantly, and as a consequence they become sappy, and cannot endure changes of tcm|>eniiure to 

 which ihey may be exposed. In this condition they get the spol, and if this happens, ihey seldom or never 

 recover under the -ame treatment; but if the treatment here recommended be followed, (here is a chance 

 of their making fresh leaves free from spot. Another point in obtaining success is to keep the plants as 

 well exposed to light as possible. They should be put about two feet from the gloss; if nearer, they are 

 liable to be affected by cold. 



We have cultivated them, and have found them to succeed well in various ways. Firstly, wc grow 

 them upon large blocks of wood, plunged in a pot, in ihe suae way as was .lone with Mr. lees's plant. 





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SKGOXIl SKKIfiSt 



