264 



THE GARDENER'S MONTH/. V 



[St/>/itnberr 



considcrod nrnainontal. A very proat propor- 

 tion of iho flowers arc <;rccnish-3'ollo\v, or 

 brown ish-j;roon, with little to recommend llioni 

 but their odor and liMi<j(h of blooininsj:, and 

 ■where colleetions are lar<.'e, some of the best 

 of tlie odoriferous species e(^ine in very well, and 

 give but little trouble in their cultivation, for with 

 one or two exceptions, Epidendruni are the very 

 donkeys of the Orchid family. They will bear 

 more neglect and be more grateful for a little 

 attention than any other Orchids. The ffenus 

 is very dissimilar in growth and manner of llow- 

 ering, though all make their bloom from the 

 top of the bulb except E. Stamfordiamim (syn.) 

 Ba.silare. The}' can be divided mainly into two 

 classes. Those making short turbinate bulbs, 

 and those making long terete bulbs often four or 

 five feet long. Though, as a whole, the Epiden- 

 drunis are not show}', still there are a few very 

 handsome species, and without which no collec- 

 tion of Orchids would be complete. 



E. bicornutum. A native of Trinidad and 

 Guiana. This is quite a difficult plant to culti- 

 vate, and I lost several plants before I succeeded 

 m growing and blooming it. It requires the hot- 

 test place in the house, and I have seen the glass 

 110° in the place where my plants hang. It has 

 hollow bulbs from eight to twelve inches long, 

 ■with two or three stiff leaves. The flower stem 

 from twelve to sixteen inches long, and bears 

 about twelve flowers, two inches in diameter. 

 The color is pure waxy white, except the lip, 

 which is speckled crimson. If kept dry the 

 blooms last thirty to thirty-five days, and has a 

 delightful odor. Blooms in May or June. 



E. aurantiacum. Guatemala. In growth like 

 Cattleya Skinneri. The flowers are orange color. 

 Blooms in April. 



E. amabile and dichromum. Brazil. Short 

 bulbs, with panicles of flowers, white, rose, or 

 pink in the sepals and petals ; lip crimson. This 

 has not done well with me. Bloomed once, but 

 since then the bulbs have decreased in size. 



E. macrochilum album and Roaeum, syn. E. 

 atropurpureiim. Short bulbs with two stilf dark- 

 green leaves. Sepals and petals brown, lip 

 white in some varieties, and rose in others. It 

 can be grown among the cool Orchids. 



E. nemorale. Has short, dark-green bulbs 

 and dark leaves, with a panicle of rosy flowers, 

 lip lighter, with some red lines at the base. The 

 flower stem is stiff and upright. I was fortunate 

 enough to get several plants at a sale of Young & 

 Elliott's. I also had another Epidendruni in the 



same lot with much darker flowers, lip beauti- 

 fully striped with pink, and the blooms were in 

 a flexuous raceme. Both have a very fine odor, 

 and remain a long time in bloom. Blooms three 

 and a-half inches in diameter. 



E. ■pho'nicinm. f'ulia. Sliort bulbs; sepals 

 and petals l)r()wnish-purple, lip pink and crim- 

 son. Tills is a ]»eautiful species and rare. I 

 have bought many, but never got the true one- 

 but once. Two inches in diameter. 



E. viielliniim. Mexico. Has small bulbs with- 

 a liluish tinge; flowers orange-scarlet, with a 

 very narrow bright yellow lip. There is a larger 

 variety under the name of vitellinum majus;: 

 flowers larger, two inches in diameter. I have 

 one now in bloom, which has been open sevent}^ 

 days and the flowers still fresh. 



There are other desirable Epidendrums of the- 

 bulbous species. E. selligerum, E. prismat- 

 ocarpum and E. primulinum. I have one with 

 racemes of neat white flowers, lip striped pink.. 

 It was bought for E. phocnicium. I liave 

 another with flower stems over four feet long, 

 and laterals one foot. Flowers light yellow, with, 

 some brown marking on the lip. Came from. 

 Honduras, and is very fine, blooms last forty 



I days, and remarkably sweet. 



! E. Siamfordianum. Has long club-shaped 

 bulbs, and the flower stem comes from the base 

 of the bulbs. The ftowers are greenish-yellow,, 

 spotted reddish-brown. Makes a dense raceme- 

 Requires more heat than most Epidendrums. 



E. aloifolium., syn. E. falcafum and E. Parkin- 

 sonii. Guatemala and Mexico. This is unique 

 for an Epidendruni. It has no bulbs, but in 

 growth resembles a large Brassavola, and bears 

 its flower nearly in the same way. It bears one 

 or two large flowers, Avhite, ■with a slight yellow 

 tinge, but in other varieties the sepals and petals 

 are brownish-white. It blooms in June, and 

 with me makes its growth in the Winter. 



I E. radiatum. This is not very showy, but a. 



! large plant with a dozen spikes of blooms ; makes 

 a neat appearance. Bulbs about five inches 

 long, dark green and furrowed, flowers one inch 

 in diameter, sepals and petals greenish-white, 

 lips white, beautifully marked with purple veins. 

 E.ciliare. Makes long' bulbs; flowers white,, 

 sepals and petals slender, often two inches long,, 

 lip white and beautifully fringed. 



i E. cochleare. A curious species from the West 

 Indies and Central America. Sepals and petals- 

 greenish-yellow, reflexed like the petals of a 

 cyclamen ; lip dark purple with golden-yellow- 



