Missouri Botanical 
Garden Bulletin 
Vol. XI NOVEMBER, 1923 No. 9 
THE PRIVATE ORCHID COLLECTION OF MR. C. W. 
POWELL 
On his return journey from the recent orchid collecting 
trip to South America, Mr. George H. Pring stopped at the 
famous garden of Mr. Powell in Balboa and, because of the 
importance of Mr. Powell’s collection, and the fact that we 
have a large number of Panamanian species at the Garden, 
the following account of his experiences while there is given 
in full: 
‘‘The native orchids concentrated in this notable Canal 
Zone garden embrace the major portion of the Panamanian 
species known to science. The collection has been brought 
together within the last ten years by Mr. Powell chiefly from 
the Chiriqui region. Mr. Powell’s enthusiasm for these plants 
has caused him to be locally termed ‘the Orchid Man’, and 
his garden is one of the show places in Balboa to both the 
botanist and tourist. 
‘‘The collection aggregates upwards of five thousand speci- 
mens which are concentrated in his garden on the east side 
of the residence. The garden is surrounded by an eight-foot 
chicken-wire fence covered with various species of climbers to 
shade the plants from the sun. This same vine-covered wire 
meets overhead, giving shade and likewise supporting the 
suspended orchids. The density of the shade is governed, 
according to the requirements of the season, by pruning. At 
the western end of the garden most of the shade is provided 
by a large mango tree, upon trunk and extended branches of 
which various shade-loving epiphytic plants are tenaciously 
rooted. Toward the eastern portion of the garden full sun- 
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