Tas. XXIII. 
LAELIA MAJALIS: 
MAY-FLOWERING LAELIA. 
Lara majalis; pseudo-bulbis ovatis vel sub-rotundis monophyllis, foliis crassissimis oblongis acutis 
scapo 1-4 floro tereti brevioribus, sepalis lanceolatis acutis, petalis oblongo-lanceolatis obtusiusculis undulatis 
duplo latioribus membranaceis, labelli trilobi marginibus edentulis: lobo medio unguiculato subrotundo 
emarginato, lobis lateralibus rotundatis. 
Lelia majalis, Bot. Reg. Misc. 1839. No. 42. 
Cattleya Grahami, Linp. Gen. et Spe. Orchid. 116. 
Habitat in Mexico.—Scutevr, Hartwec, Ross. 
Deseription, 
PSEUDO-BULBS sometimes ovate, sometimes nearly spherical, faintly wrinkled, from an inch to 
an inch and a half long, clothed, when young, with whitish membranous scales. LEAVES one on 
each pseudo-bulb, exceedingly crassular, oblong, acute, from three to five inches long, shorter than 
the scape. Scare from six inches to a foot high, round, bearing from one to four flowers. SEPALS 
at least two inches long, lanceolate, acute, of a beautiful rosy lilac colour. PETALS more than twice 
the width of the sepals, oblong-lanceolate, waved at the margin, and bent backwards ; of the same 
hue as the sepals. Ep two inches and a half long, three-lobed ; the lateral lobes leaning against the 
sides of the column, which they almost encircle, rounded at the extremities where they spread open, 
of a whitish cast, excepting a few pink dots near their inner margin ; the middle lobe is much larger 
than the others, deeply emarginate, unguiculate, and slightly notched in the margin, beautifully 
pencilled with crimson streaks and dots, all of which radiate towards the elevated plate by which the 
disk is traversed ; the edges are faintly stained with rose-colour. Corumwn shorter than the lateral 
lobes of the lip—of a pink colour. 
Tus lovely plant abounds in the more temperate parts of Mexico, where its exquisite beauty has 
rendered it a prime favourite with the natives, from whom it has received the familiar appellation of “ Flor 
de Mayo.” It does not, however, appear to have been long known to botanists, Dr. Scurepe having been 
the first to send specimens to Europe, which, through the liberality of Professor ScutecnTrenpaut have 
been extensively distributed. Living plants were first obtained by Mr. Barker, from Oaxaca, through the 
instrumentality of Mr. Ross; and, more recently, a large supply has been received by the Horticultural 
Society of London, collected by Mr. Harrwee in San Bartolo, in situations so elevated that the tempera- 
ture sometimes falls below the freezing point. ‘This habitat, so unusual for an Orchidaceous plant, will go 
far to explain the ill success that has hitherto attended its cultivation, for while it is comparatively easy to 
imitate the close and humid atmosphere in which most of the tribe are found, it is infinitely more difficult to 
provide a substitute for the pure air and frequent changes of temperature in which these mountain epiphytes 
would seem to delight. Indeed, so signal, in the case of Lelia majalis, has been the failure of even the 
most experienced cultivators, that although there was scarce a collection that did not contain one or more 
specimens of the plant, still did it obstinately refuse to flower, except in the solitary instance about to be 
described, when it yielded to the skilful treatment of Mr. Dintwyn Lurweryn, of Penllergare, who has 
favoured us with the following note :— 
* Supra. Tab. IX. 
