27S 



GARDENERS' CHROMCLE 



Collecting Orchids in Central and South America 



THE orchid collection of the Missouri llotanical Gar- 

 den has always been a notable one. and after the ac- 

 quisition of the Brownhurst collection, through the 

 generosity of the late D. S. Brown, it took first rank in 

 this country for the number of varieties as well as (juan- 

 tity of plants. 



The general public is apt to judge such an e.xhibition 

 from the standpoint of color and quantity of bloom rather 

 than the rarity of the plants, and for this reason it seemed 

 desirable if possible to augment considerably the number 



Cyril Allen and G. H. Prmg, Collecting Odontogtossum Ftaz'csi-cns 

 in the Andes of Bogota. 



of more showy orchids, especially cattleyas. During the 

 war. however, practically all the collectors of orchids, par- 

 ticularly in ."^outh America, went out of business, and it is 

 no longer possible to buy these native plants 

 through local agents. Consequently, the only wav 

 in which they can be obtained is to send a repre- 

 sentative direct to the country where these par- 

 ticular orchids are grown, in the hope that by a 

 fortunate combination of circumstances, he may 

 secure enough of these i)hmts to make the trip 

 worth while. 



.\nother factor which has greatly restricted the 

 im])ortation of native orchids into the country has 

 been the restrictions imposed by the Plant Quar- 

 antine Act, and indee(l it was not possible to 

 consider securing cattleyas from South America 

 until this difficulty was overcome. However, lic- 

 cause of the standing of the Missouri liotanical 

 Garden the I''ederal Horticulturrd Board granted 

 a special permit, allowing orchids collected in 

 South America and Panama to enter at New 

 Orleans and come direct to St. Louis, where they 

 could be ins])ected, instead of following the usual 

 regulations. With the way clear for the delivery 

 of the plants to the Garden, George II. I'ring, 

 Horticulturist to the Garden, began at once to make prep- 

 arations for the trip. 



Ivarly collectors of orchids in t ulombia. such as .Schlini. 

 I'.lunt. Linden, the Klablock I'.rothers. Chesterton. Leh- 

 mann, and Kalbrayer, had no difficulty because of the 

 abundance of accessible plants. During these easy-collect- 

 ing days the commercial cattieya was found growing upon 



•Reproduced by permission of Missouri Botanicil Garden Bulletin. 



houses and in forests close at hand. In Yacupi, in the 

 Departamento Cundinamarca, the villagers even presented 

 a collector with forty cases of plants. A present-day qol- 

 lector, however, must rely upon the natives exclusively, 

 making his headquarters at the nearest village and wait- 

 ing with all the jiatience at his command for the return 

 of the natives with the coveted orchids. 



The best time for collecting Cattieya Trian;e. according 

 to Cyril Allen of Bogota, is during the dry season 

 ( Xovember to March). The flowering season, "'V'ar- 

 anillo" ("little dry season"), which is from the 

 end of July to .September, is then over, and if 

 collecting is done during this period it is possil)Ie 

 to select the best types. 



Cattleyas do not grow in the hot country, but 

 in the foothills of the Cordilleras, from 2,000 to 

 6,000 feet altitude, where the mean temperature is 

 65-67° F. Most cattleyas are entirely local in 

 their distribution, certain species being confined to 

 a small given region and disapf)earing completely 

 when this area is passed. They inhabit the top- 

 most 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. Cattieya Mendelii has been found 

 growing upon rocks too hot for the naked hand, 

 suggesting that most cattleyas need abundant sun- 

 "^hine. 



Cattle\a 1 'ercivaliana grows much better upon 

 rocks and cliffs overhanging streams than upon 

 trees. Other cattleyas, such as -C. Triana;, prefer 

 ihe topmost branches of trees. They may be found in 

 either the crotches or branches, ujx)n 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 



Orchids lin Route on I'tick Mule jrom .Witiiiiiiiiiia to Upper 

 Magdalena River. 



for the natives to pry the jjlants loose, with attached bark, 

 by means of their machetes. If there are many ])lants 

 uiMin a tree, there is no hesitation about cutting the tree 

 down. Plants are not so plentiful at the ])resent time, 

 however, and it is truly an orchid hunt. Xothing but the 

 trained eve of the n.-itivc Indi.in cm tind the cattlevas in 



