66 



COOL ORCHID GROWING. 



grown by R. Warner, Esq., says one of the specimens, " was 

 a mass of two feet across, and bore thirty of its noble flowers. 

 Scarcely two plants are alike, and some are most remarkably 

 distinct from each other, so that in future it will not be 

 enough for the lover of Orchids to place Cattleya Mossiae in 

 his collection ; he must make up his mind how many forms 

 he will admit, and then set about seeking out those which 

 best suit his fancy." The individual flowers of a good 

 C. Mossise are from six to eight inches across, the sepals and 

 petals being of a delicate rosy lilac or flesh tint, while the lip 

 is richly coloured with golden-yellow, and the most gorgeous 

 blotching and veining of crimson velvet. The principal 

 varieties are — 



a. C. Mossiae aurantiaca. d. C. Mossiae rosea. 



h. C. „ superba. e. C. „ speciosissima. 



c. 0. „ picta. 



*C. Shlnnerl (Guatemala, 1836). — This is a very distinct 

 plant. Its clavate smooth pseudo-bulbs bear two oblong 

 leathery leaves about three inches long. Flowers from four 

 to nine on a spike, of a clear bright crimson- purple, the lip 

 being several shades darker. This is a first-class plant for the 

 spring and summer exhibitions, as it is easily grown aud 

 flowers very freely. A. Turner, Esq., of Leicester, exhibited 

 a remarkable plant of this species in London in 1866, one 

 glorious mass of blossom, having between twenty and thirty 

 spikes of flowers upon it. A plant of C. MossisB grown in 

 that gentleman's collection has also been very much admired. 



*G. Triaaice. — This is also known as C. Warscewiczii, and 

 like its allies, C. lab lata and Mossiae, it sports freely into 

 several more or less distinct varieties ; sepals and petals ne^ly 

 pure white, lip rosy -lilac with a yellow " throat." They are 

 all easily grown, and blooming as they do in the winter 

 months, makes them doubly valuable. 



