SOPHRONITIS COCCINEA. Native of Brazil. 
The finest species and indeed one of the most brilliant of the whole orchid species. 
Pseudobulbs are sometimes terete but usually oval, about 1 inch long. Leaves 
solitary, oblong, 2 to 3 inches in length, leathery and deep green in colour. Flowers 
produced from the apex of the bulb, one flower only on the short, erect scape. 
They are of good texture, the sepals being oblong-lanceolate and the petals 
roundish elliptic. These are cinnabar-edged or bright orange-scarlet. The lip is 
trilobed, the side lobes incurved and the middle lobe flat and acutely pointed. 
It is a brilliant orange-red streaked with scarlet. They flower in Winter and last 
many weeks in perfection. 
(Syn. S. grandiflora.) 
Var. purpurea is smaller in habit and bears flowers of bright carmine-purple. 
SOPHRONITIS VIOLACEA. Native of Brazil. 
A very small species with 1-inch, fluted pseudobulbs tapering at both ends and 
narrow, pointed, dark green leaves about 2 inches in length. Scape very short 
and bears a single flower about 1 inch across, violet-magenta in colour, the bases 
of the petals and sepals being lighter in toning. Flowers in Winter and lasts a 
month or six weeks in perfection, 
SOPHRONITIS HY BRIS 
The beautiful Sophronitis coccinea has been extensively used by those enter- 
prising gentlemen who create new genera and species by cross-fertilisation or 
hybridisation. As a result we have Sophro-Laelias, Sophro-Cattleyas, Sophro- 
Laelio-Cattleyas and Sophro-Brasso-Laelio-Cattleyas, this latter group having been 
given the generic name of Potinara, after the French orchid grower, Julien Potin. 
The Sophronitis strain in these hybrids generally results in the flowers being rather 
smaller than the usual Cattleya type hybrids, but this is more than compensated 
for by the superior texture, the more symmetrical shape, and the exceedingly 
brilliant colouring of the flowers. Moreover, Sophronitis hybrids are better lasting 
and are less affected by cold weather than the Laelio- and Brasso-Cattleyas. Al- 
together a few Sophronitis hybrids make a desirable and interesting addition to any 
collection of Cattleya type orchids. 
The smaller flowered Sophronitis hybrids are also much more suited for dress wear 
than some of the very large, rather flaccid Cattleya hybrids now produced. 
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