LIST OF COOL ORCniDS. . 81 



The preceding species will farnish abundance of flowers, 

 and several of <«ach should be grown, if space permit. More 

 species might be included in this list, but as they do not bloom 

 profusely they have been omitted. 



Disa. 



A genus of very coqI Orchids from the Cape of Good Hope. 

 They arc rather numerous and some are showy, but many of 

 them are scarcely worth gi'owing. The blue D. Henshallii 

 and one or two other species have recently been imported and 

 sold at Stevens'. Di.sa grandiflora is one of the best, and 

 D. macrantha is' a ipagnificent species, VcJry variable in its 

 colour, some varie'^cs l^ij^ nearly pure white, while others 

 are of the deepest*rose.2l&mir blotched with crimson. This 

 last is not yet introtliiccd toj^air collections. T^ late lamented 

 Dr. W. Hatvcy^'^aiid D. ^^graiidifiora luxuriating on a table- 

 mountain close ta" tho#nargin of a stream which ■alway;?' 

 contained water, but wlich overflowed its banks in winter. 

 When the plant flowered it was shaded by the herbage and 

 other vegetation in such a way that only the flowers peeped out 

 at the sun. Its roots would find a congenial coolness in the 

 spongy banks, while the canop}'- of overhanging vegetation 

 would prevent the foliage of the Disa from suffering from 

 the blazing sun of lat. 33*^ S. In cultivation Disas should be 

 planted in rough fibrous bog-peat and coarse river sand, using 

 well-drained pans, and then it is next to impossible for anyone 

 to supply them with too much moisture, either at the root or in 

 the atniosphere of the house or pit where they are grown. They 

 must always occupy a shady position in the house. D. grandi* 

 flora is remarkably well-grown at Ferniehurst, near Bradford, 

 by Mr. E. Culley, gardener to E. Salt, Esq., but the strongest 

 plant I ever saw was in the little known but really excellent 

 collection of ]\ris3 Barre, Park Road, Liverpool. This was 



the true D. grandiflora superba. 



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