1^2 



GUIDE T< ) XATL'RE 



PHALAENOPSIS AMABILIS. 



Sometimes called the "Queen of Orchids." The large 



flowers are pure white in color on long drooping 



racemes. A native of the Philippine Islands. 



tropics so many things are intertwined that 

 in a short letter it would be folly for me even 

 to pretend to treat the subject as it deserves. 

 To the first question, regarding my impres- 

 sions and experience, I would say in a few 

 words that my impressions of these plants 

 were of such a nature as to be comparable 

 with those of a child for whom a new world 

 is suddenly thrown wide open, with the differ- 

 ence that 1 had experienced a strong desire 

 to see with my own eyes nature's jewelry 

 store, so to speak, and so in a measure was 

 prepared to see something of which I had 

 previously heard so many more or less truth- 

 ful stories ; yet my impressions were those 

 just mentioned. 



"i >t course the field is very large and, owing 

 to many difficulties, only a small part, com- 

 paratively speaking, can he seen at a time in 

 a given locality. Vet in some regions certain 

 species of orchids occur in great abundance 

 both in quality and in number ot species. The 

 number of the latter 1 would not dare to 

 guess — not even approximately. The most 

 wonderful region for orchids in Colombia, and 

 I think I am safe in saying in South America, 

 if not in the world, is the northwestern part 

 of the department of Antioquia. Here the 

 Central Cardillera sends out a number of spurs 

 and high ridges in all directions, forming tre- 

 mendous canyons, valleys and chasms where 

 all sorts of climatic conditions prevail, from 

 the purely tropical to the cold, dreary 'Par- 

 amo.' In this region I found more species of 

 orchids than it has been my fortune to see 

 in any other region that I visited. 

 * * * * 



"Now a few words as to how these plants 

 grow and occur. The Anguloas grow mostly 

 on the ground or on the lower parts of the 

 trunks of trees. The same may be said of 

 Lycaste Costata. This latter plant attains very 

 large dimensions. I have seen plants more 

 than two feet across, and so large and heavy 

 that I thought that I could not afford to give 

 them room in an ordinary box. A beautiful 

 sight is to see this plant in full bloom. Imagine 

 a large, crooked, venerable tree covered with 

 moss and a multitude of epiphytes with here 

 and there a Lycaste Costata in full bloom re- 

 sembling a large basket of eggs. It looks odd, 

 yet it is beautiful. I now particularly remem- 

 ber this plant as I gathered a very large spec- 

 imen in full bloom, and carried it to my 

 ranch, where, placed on the top of a box, it 

 for two weeks served as an adornment to the 

 place. The Anguloas are very beautiful as 

 they are seen growing here. The natives call 

 this plant 'La Cuna de Venus' (The Cradle 

 of Venus), and a very appropriate name it is. 

 The Odontoglossums as seen growing on the 

 trees are hard to describe with their majestic, 

 arching spikes. Odontoglossum luteo-purpn- 

 reum (the var. Sccptrum occurshere) and 0. 

 Coronarium generally select the high ridges ; 

 in fact, I usually found them on very narrow 

 ridges where a breeze is always blowing. On 

 these ridges they are scattered here and there 

 on the trees, in some places accompanied by 

 Oncidium Orosum. The trees in these par- 

 ticular places are frequently covered with 

 Bromeliads in great variety. Epidendruns 

 occur everywhere, some growing on stones and 



