264 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Mai-ch 27, 187S. 



ing the fact that old plants need not be thrown away. I will 

 not expatiate on the value of this very beautiful spring flower ; 

 it is so useful for decorative purposes aud for cutting for 

 houfjuets. — D., Deal. 



A CENTURY OP ORCHIDS FOR AMATEUR 

 GROWERS.-No. 6. 



CCELOGYNE. 



This is an extensive family of eastern plants, many of 

 which succeed admirably under cool treatment. Most of the 

 kinds produce very beautiful flowers, and some are most de- 

 licately perfumed. The treatment recommended for Maxillaria 

 will suit these well. 



C. CRISTATA. — The whole plant is rich deep green in colour ; 

 the flowers are large, and pro- 

 duced on pendent racemes 

 during the winter. In some 

 cases, under good manage- 

 ment, two racemes spring 

 from a single pseudobulb. 

 The sepals and petals are of 

 the purest snow-white, so 

 also is the lip, but in addi- 

 tion it is ornamented with 

 several raised fringed lines 

 of orauge yellow. Native of 

 Kasia and Nepaul. 



C. COERUOATA. — .iltllOUgh 



"the flowers of this species 

 are not so large as those of 

 C. cristata, they are, never- 

 theless, sufficiently interest- 

 ing to warrant tlie atten- 

 tion of amateur cool Orchid 

 growers. The pseudobulbs 

 are much wrinkled, and bear 

 ample dark green leaves. 

 The raceme is about half 

 the length of the leaves ; se- 

 pals and petals pure white ; 

 lip white, blotched with yel- 

 low aud streaked with deep 

 orange. Native of the Neil- 

 gherry Hills. 



EPIDENDBUM. 



A really vast genus includ- 

 ing several hundred known 

 species, many of which are 

 extremely beautiful, wliilst 

 others, again, are extremely 

 duU and unattractive ; yet 

 even some of the least in- 

 teresting make amends for 

 want of colour and size by 

 the exquisitely delightful 

 fragrance of their blooms. 

 Natm'aUy, most Epiden- 

 drums are epiphytal, but the 

 majority of them conform 

 to pot culture very well. Use 

 sphagnum moss aud peat in 

 about equal parts, and if 

 medium-sized lumps of charcoal are employed, they will greatly 

 conduce to healthy growth. The following two are all I shall 

 introduce in my selection for small amateurs : — 



E. viTELLiNU.M MA.IUS. — Au extremely beautiful kind of 

 easy culture. It has oblong pseudobulbs bearing a pair of 

 glaucous leaves. The flower-scape is about a foot long, bear- 

 ing flowers an inch or more in diameter ; the sepals and petals 

 are thick and fleshy, brilUant deep orange, or yolk-of-egg 

 colour, the Up yellow. Its colours are rare amongst Orchids, 

 and the flowers last a very long time in fuU beauty. It usually 

 blooms during winter and spring. Native of Mexico, at great 

 elevations. 



E. NEiioRALE MAJDS. — This is another superb Mexican 

 variety. The pseudobulbs are very large, bearing a pair of 

 leaves some 10 or 12 inches long. The panicles of bloom are 

 v?ry large, often rqeaauriug between 2 aud 3 feet in length. 



sometimes even more. The numerous flowers are soft rosy- 

 mauve, the lip, in addition, being streaked with a few lines of 

 red. It is found growing in Oak forests, at great elevations, 

 in Mexico. 



CYPBIPEDIUM. 

 The various species comprising this genus are popularly 

 known as " Lady's-slipper Plants," or as its name impUes, 

 Venus's iShoe, the peculiar pouched appearance of the lip 

 having suggested the name. Cypripediums are favourite plants 

 with most Orchid growers, aud may be easily grown into good 

 specimens. They thrive in a mixture of peat, sphagnum, 

 and sand, and during summer enjoy copious waterings from 

 both the watering-can and syringe ; it must be borne in mind 

 that having no pseudobulbs they cannot withstand much 

 drought. The only three kinds I can recommend for low tem- 

 peratures are here given, and they are sufficiently hardy 



to withstand unharmed the 

 temperature of the dwelling- 

 house for a long time. 



C. iNsiGNE. — A free-grow- 

 ing old plant. The leaves 

 are long, strap-shaped, and 

 light-green. The scape bears 

 a single flower which lasts 

 ia full beauty five or six 

 weeks with ordinary care, 

 and as it expands about the 

 end of December, the bloom 

 is doubly valuable as serving 

 to enliven, the dull winter 

 days. The upper sepal and 

 the petals are yellowish 

 green, the former large and 

 tipped with white, the 

 ground beiug freckled with 

 brown spots ; the pouched 

 lip is brownish orange. 

 Native of Sylhet. 



C. ixsiGXE Maulei. — This 

 differs from the normal form 

 of the species in having a 

 smaller lip, aud in the dorsal 

 sepal being much larger and 

 brighter-coloured. The 



snowy white marldugs ex- 

 tend fully half the length, 

 whilst, in addition, it is 

 streaked with crimson aud 

 dotted with dull purple. 



C. vExcsTUM. — Leaves 

 light 'green, blotched with 

 deep blackish green on the 

 upper side, purphsh below. 

 The flowers are solitary, 

 sepals aud petals greenish 

 white, whilst the pouch is 

 yellow suffused with pale 

 green. It also blooms during 

 the winter. Native of 

 Sylhet. 



DENDEOBIUSI. 



This is entirely an eastern 

 genus, aud it includes 

 several hundred species, the 

 majority of which are exceedingly beautiful and showy. Many 

 of them succeed best grown upon blocks or in baskets, and 

 thus produce a pleasing effect in the plant house, in addition 

 to economising space. In many instances Dendrobiums re- 

 quire the temperature of the warm house, but the species here 

 enumerated thrive well under quite cool treatment. The soil 

 should be rough peat aud sphagnum, with ample drainage. 

 Durint! winter only just suflioient water should be given to 

 keep Ihem from shrivelling. 



D. NoRiLE. — This is one of our longest-known members of 

 this order, having been introduced to this country about the 

 year Is.SO, and it still mamtains its position as one of the 

 handsomest. It blooms at varioiis times during winter and 

 sprinjr, and lasts long in beauty. Tlie flowers are admirably 

 ndapted for the embellishment of a lady's hair, especially 

 when backed by a small frond of some graceful Fern. It is an 



Bendrobium noblle pallidifloi-um.— (Bof. Mag.) 

 (See page 205.) 



