ORCHID COLLECTING STANDLEY 375 



cultivation of Cattleyas and other orchids for the sale of their 

 flowers is common, and in some of the commercial gardens lliere 

 are magnificent displays. The fine clump of Gattlexja skinneri illus- 

 trated in Plate 20 is from such a garden, owned by an Amer- 

 ican citizen of Danish origin. In this Milflor garden there is a long 

 avenue, lined on each side with trees whose trunks are completely 

 covered with this Cattleya, affording during the flowering season a 

 gorgeous show of color. In other gardens the display is almost 

 equally fine. Some of the plants are as large as a washtub and pro- 

 duce hundreds of blossoms. These last for weeks and are of delicate 

 shades of rose purple. 



The genus Cattleya consists of 30 to 40 species, all of which are 

 American, extending from Mexico into South America. They are 

 the favorite orchids for cultivation in the United States and Europe 

 because of their handsome flowers and even more, perhaps, because 

 of their easy culture. They are favorites with the hybridizer, and 

 numerous fine artificial forms have been produced by hybridization. 

 Many living Cattleya plants are exported from tropical America for 

 growth in northern countries. Their flowers are the orchids most 

 commonly sold in flower shops in the United States, and those gen- 

 ?raily associated in the popular mind with the word orchid. 



The most prized locally of the Costa Rican orchids is the guaria 

 llanca or white Cattleya. It is only a color variant of Cattleya 

 skinneri, but a very distinct one, for the flowers are pure white. It 

 is a strikingly beautiful plant, and occurs in the wild state, although 

 it is so much sought after that it is now hard to find. Even in 

 Costa Rica the plants are held at dear prices, and I was informed of 

 one fine clump for which $150 had been paid. 



The third Costa Rican Cattleya is probably the finest Central 

 American orchid, and is commonly considered the most gorgeous of 

 all the Cattleyas. It is the guaria Turrialba or simply Turrialba, 

 the Turrialba Cattleya, C. dowiana (pi. 21). It takes its name 

 from the fact that it grows chiefly about the lower slopes of the Vol- 

 cano of Turrialba, on the Atlantic side of Costa Rica. The writer 

 was fortunate enough to find a vigorous plant, with buds, in the 

 forest near Guapiles. This Cattleya also has been so much hunted 

 by commercial collectors that it is now considered rare. Its sepals 

 and petals are nankeen yellow, and the ruffled lip is of a rich deep 

 crimson purple, veined with gold. In color it is quite unlike 

 any of its relatives, and none of them is so richly decorated. 

 When first described in Europe by its discoverer, Oersted, botanists 

 were skeptical as to the accuracy of his description. Although the 

 Turrialba Cattleya is confined to Costa Rica, several varieties of it 

 have been reported and introduced into cultivation from Colombia, 

 one of them with pure yellow flowers. 



