MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 81 
then over, and if collecting is done during this period it is 
possible to select the best types. Cattleyas do not grow in 
the hot country, but in the foothills of the Cordilleras, from 
2000 to 6000 feet altitude, where the mean temperature is 
65-67° F. Most cattleyas are entirely local in their dis- 
tribution, certain species being confined to a small given 
region and disappearing completely when this area is passed. 
They inhabit the topmost branches of the Aquapa (Bombax), 
150-200 feet in height, where there is plenty of sunlight. 
Even in the dry season they are subjected to heavy dews at 
night which more or less prevent shrivelling. Cattleya Men- 
delit has been found growing upon rocks too hot for the 
naked hand, suggesting that most cattleyas need abundant 
sunshine. 
Cattleya Percivalliana grows much better upon rocks and 
cliffs overhanging streams than upon trees. Other cattleyas, 
such as C. Trianae, prefer the topmost branches of trees. 
They may be found in either the crotches or branches, upon 
the sides of the main trunk, or in many cases surrounding 
the limbs of the smaller branches where their roots tenaciously 
hold them fast against the strongest wind, often making it 
necessary for the natives to pry the plants loose, with attached 
bark, by means of their machetes. If there are many plants 
upon a tree, there is no hesitation about cutting the tree down. 
Plants are not so plentiful at the present time, however, and 
it is truly an orchid hunt. Nothing but the trained eye of 
the native Indian can find the cattleyas in their concealed 
locations. According to authorities, there are now more com- 
mercial cattleyas in the United States and Europe than grow- 
ing in their native environment in Colombia. 
The appearance of the orchids as collected is rather dis- 
appointing to the orchid enthusiast who has been used to 
orchids in the greenhouse. Masses of dried-up back pseudo- 
bulbs, old flowering spikes, and dead leaves present anything 
but a pleasing appearance. The dark green color to which 
we have become accustomed in orchid houses is replaced by 
a foliage of yellowish green. 
The following extracts from Mr. Pring’s diary give a 
graphic picture of what it means to obtain orchids under 
present-day conditions: 
*‘T left St. Louis, April 1, bearing letters of introduction 
from the Colombian ambassador at Washington to Govern- 
