THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



243 



grandiflora, only they fire yellow ; and it 

 lias a strong smell of the rhubarb that is 

 sold in the chemists' shops. It is a very 

 distinct species, and requires to hare a 

 good vest after it has done growing. 



Stanhopea quadricornis. — A well- 

 marked species, having four horns on the 

 lip; is not so rich in colour as some of 

 the others, but it has a more delicate 

 Bcent than many of them. It requires to 

 be grown in a pot or basket. This species 

 flowers earlier than either of the former, 

 and, of course, grows sooner. 



rihopea saccata. — A most interest- 

 ing species ; a native of Mexico, having a 

 bag at the ba-c of the lip ; hence 

 the name. It has an orange lip, with 

 straw-coloured vessel--, and petals beauti- 

 fully covered with dark spots ; this re- 

 quires a pot or basket. This is also an 

 earlier flowerer, blowing in May and June, 

 though sometimes lat r. 



hopea Wa/r&ii. — A very handsome 

 species. The flowers are of a pale yellow, 

 beautifully spotted, well worthy the culti- 

 vator's attention, as indeed all the species 

 are ; ilowcrs in .June and July, and very 

 seldom begins to grow before August ; the 

 number of flowers on a spike are from five to 

 twelve. This requires either a pot or basket. 



Stanhopea tigrina (the tiger marked). 

 — This is really the most splendid and sin- 

 gularly formed species of all the genus ; 

 the lip is dark and of a very fleshy texture ; 

 the vessels and petals are of a pale colour, 

 with large dark stripes ; it flowers in June 

 and July, and begins to grow in August ; 

 has from two to three flowers on a spike. 

 It may be considered the very finest of 

 the genus ; it requires a pot or a basket. 



Stanhopea Martia la. — This is a spe- 

 cies very nearly related to tigrina. I coidd 

 see nothing in it to distinguish it from the 

 preceding species. 



Stanhopea oeulata. — A pleasing and 

 very interesting species. The lower por- 

 tion of the lip has a yellow cast, and has 

 a dark spot resembling an eve ; hence the 

 name. The upper portion is like white 

 ivory, and beautifully spotted withpurple ; 

 the vessels and petals are of a pale straw 

 colour, finely spotted with dark purple. 



Stanhopea Devonieiisis. — This is a very 

 splendid species, somewhat like tigrina, 

 but not so large, and has a very differently 

 formed lip, and the vessel^ and petals of 

 a much darker colour. It comes into 

 flower in June and July ; it requires 

 either a basket or pot. 



Stanhopea insignia. — This is another 

 beautiful species. The vessels and petals 



of this species are pale yellow with purple 

 spots ; the lip of it is very curiously 

 formed, and of a thick and fleshy nature. 

 It is impossible for me to compare the 

 flowers of these plants to anything I know, 

 as they have a form peculiar to themselves, 

 widely different from that of all other 

 known plants. 



I do not consider the root of these 

 plants the principal recipients of food. I 

 think the leaves and pseudo bulbs the 

 proper absorbents of moisture, and that 

 the roots are merely necessary to attach 

 the plants to the places where they are 

 destined to grow. I have seen many of 

 this tribe of plants grow without roots, 

 when these have been cut off or have 

 died, though they have not grown or 

 flowered so well as those that had roots ; 

 but I do not believe that this was because 

 the plants could not absorb sufficient 

 moisture, but because they could not firmly 

 attach themselves to the places where they 

 were growing. The great point in the 

 growing of thc-o plants is to get them 

 iirmly rooted to the place where they are 

 to grow ; hence it is absolutely necessary 

 that the peat in which they are grown 

 should be of the most fibrous nature, so 

 that when water is given, it may pass off 

 quickly ; for if any water lodges about the 

 roots, they will rot. My opiuion being that 

 the leaves and pseudo bulbs are the prin- 

 cipal absorbent^, I think it very wrong to 

 give, the house any great portion of air, 

 because it must dry up the food of the 

 plants, and so tend to render them weak 

 and unhealthy. The air in the house 

 should be kept up to near the point of 

 saturation. At the time of growing, the 

 plants cannot by any means develop their 

 leaves, and of course their pseudo bulbs 

 must be small ; the (lovers will be small, 

 and few of them on a spike ; and they 

 will not have that fine proportion which 

 they have when they are grown in a strong 

 moist heat. It is the opinion of some that 

 much air is necessary in the growing sea- 

 son ; but this I deny, and those who 

 attempt it will certainly fail in growing 

 fine plants, or producing good flowers. 

 P. N. Don. 



Minimum Temperatures. — There 

 have been four frosts up to the present 

 time in the neighbourhood of London. 

 The following were the readings of the 

 minimum tbermometeronthedatesnamed : 

 —Oct. 3, 30' ; 9th, 3(P ; Hth, 25> ; lith, 

 20'. That of the 11th came with a dry 

 air and did no mischief. 



