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CHAPTER XXI. 



THE GENERA PLEUROTHALLIS, OCTOMERIA, 

 STELIS, PHYSOSIPHON, LTPARIS, MICARAN- 

 THUS, PHYSINGA, OTOCHILUS, BRYOBIUM, 

 EPIPHORA, AND POLYSTACHIA. 



These genera are not remarkable for the size 

 or colour of their flowers, but still some of them 

 are worthy of being grown, as they produce so 

 many and such extremely curious though minute 

 flowers. Their cultivation is in no way difficult, 

 being well adapted for persons who are about 

 forming a collection^ as by this introduction they 

 will become better acquainted with the routine 

 management before they enter upon those which 

 are more expensive. Their native country is in 

 the exposed parts of the Indian islands. They 

 may be grown either on billets of wood or in 

 pots: the latter mode I usually adopt. When 

 they require shifting I put them into a large- 

 size pot, half filling it previously with broken 

 potsherds; using a mixture of equal parts of 

 turfy peat and sphagnum well chopped together, 

 allowing it to be a little above the rim; when 



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