Tas. 4902. 
CATTLEYA maxima. 
Largest Cattleya. 
’ Nat. Ord. OrncHIDEZ.—GYNANDRIA MoNANDRIA. 
Gen. Char. (Vide supra, Tas. 4700.) 
CATTLEYA maxima; pseudobulbis clavatis elongatis alte sulcatis, foliis sub- 
emarginatis basi sublatioribus, pedunculo 2-3- (pluri-) floro, spatha an- 
cipiti longiore, sepalis lanceolatis petaloideis subrecurvis, petalis pluries 
latioribus convexis undulatis reticulatim pictis, labello convoluto apice ex- 
planato oblongo subcrispato-lobato per axin levissimo. Lindl. 
CaTTLEYA maxima. Lindl. Gen. et Sp. Orchid. p.116. Bot. Reg. 1844, sub 
t.5. Journ. of the Hort. Soc. v.1. Part I. p. 64. Bot. Reg. 1846, v. 32. ¢.1. 
This very fine specimen was sent us, in the autumn of 1855, 
by W. G. Farmer, Esq., of Nonsuch Park, Surrey, as a quite 
new Cattleya, the origin of which was not precisely known ; but 
there cannot be the smallest doubt of its specific identity with 
Cattleya maxima, figured and described by Dr. Lindley from 
Hartweg’s Plants: native of Guayaquil and Columbia. But, 
though described in the several works above noticed as a new 
species, our great Orchidist expresses his doubts how far it can 
lay claim to the rank of. a species, for it evidently approaches 
_ both C. Mossi@ and labiata in many important particulars: “ its 
main peculiarities consist in its long-channelled pseudobulbs, 
and in its very convex wavy petals, which are quite different in 
appearance from the thin, nearly flat petals of C. Mossie and 
labiata.” Be that as it may, the plant is a very beautiful one, 
and the specimen particularly fine, having seven fully-formed 
flowers on the spike at the time it was submitted to our artist 
for drawing ; and the labellum, of a pale colour, almost white, 
with an orange-yellow streak on the disc, is elegantly reticulated 
with purple veins. The sepals and petals are paler in colour 
than the specimen figured by Dr. Lindley, and this only sets off 
the variegated colouring of the lip to the greater advantage. 
Duscr. Pseudobulbs clustered, forming a terete or slightly 
MARCH Ist, 1856. 
