124 ORCHIDS. 



mass of common plants. A very small Orchid house, if 

 stocked with reference to a succession of bloom, will fur- 

 nish plants in bloom sufficient to fill a table with choice 

 flowering plants every day in the year. Some regard 

 must be paid, how r ever, to growing plants of which the 

 flowers last long in perfection, and in this there is a great 

 difference in Orchids. 



The blossoms of some are almost ephemeral, and 

 many are only of a few days duration. The many species 

 of Stanhopea, than which no Orchids produce more curious 

 or fragrant flowers, last only in perfection three or four 

 days. Sobralia macrantha, one of the most glorious flow- 

 ers the world produces, lasts only two days, a defect how- 

 ever somewhat compensated for by the successive pro- 

 duction of several flowers from the same sheath. While 

 some of the large family of Dendrobiums are very persis- 

 tent in blossom, others have flowers of very transient 

 duration. 



Oncidium Papilio, the well known Butterfly Plant of 

 the West Indies, and the allied but far more beautiful O. 

 Kramerianum, last only three or four days in bloom, 

 while the lovely Phalcenopscs, the East Indian Butterfly 

 Plants, are almost imperishable in bloom. 



We have in a former chapter indicated the duration of 

 many Orchid flowers ; suffice it here to say, that, with a 

 good selection of Cattleyas, Ontidiums, Lcelias, Cypripe. 

 diums, Calanthes, Aerides, Phalcenopses, Saccolabiums, and 

 Dendrobiums, there need not be a day in the year when 

 half a dozen plants cannot be found in bloom. 



Perhaps, however, the best way to give an idea of what 

 plants may be needed for such decoration will be to give 

 a list of the flowering Orchids we have had in a large bay 



