304 ORCHIDS. 
of water is needed during active growth; and although 
much less is required during rest, it is not advisable to 
allow the plants to remain dry at any time. 
P. cristata.—This is a singular and exceedingly pretty 
species, with small, oblong pseudo-bulbs rfin. high, and 
lance-shaped, plaited leaves from qin. to 6in. long. The 
flower-scapes are sheathed in loose brown scales, and 
bear one or two, sometimes three, flowers from 3in. to 
4in. in diameter. The sepals and smaller petals are 
spreading and lance-shaped, the white ground being nearly 
covered with streaks and blotches of rich chocolate-brown. 
The singularly-formed lip is three-lobed, the side lobes 
being scimitar-shaped, and the much larger middle lobe 
triangular, with an upright tuft of club-shaped processes 
near the apex; these are white, the rest of the lip being 
of a rich chocolate-brown. The column is _ club-shaped, 
yellowish green, with transverse reddish-brown markings 
towards the base. This species flowers from June to 
September, and lasts about a fortnight in beauty. It was 
introduced from Trinidad in 1834, and is also found wild 
in Demerara and New Granada. Syn. Lycaste cristata. 
Botanical Magazine, t. 4836. | 
P. grandis.— This large-flowered and very handsome 
species is the finest of the genus. The pseudo-bulbs are 
four-angled, somewhat compressed, with lance-shaped, 
plaited leaves. The flowers are 7in. in diameter, although 
they do not open to their full extent. The sepals and 
petals are broadly lance-shaped, the lower portion of 
each being of a creamy white, spotted and barred with 
chocolate-purple and the upper half entirely chocolate- 
purple. The lip is blackish purple at the contracted base, 
having a cream-coloured disc and two narrow side lobes 
of chocolate-brown; the purple middle lobe has two sickle- 
