AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



279 



l continued. 



being assigned to the large fleshy flowers famished with 

 horns or feelers, and which are now generally considered to 

 be the seed-bearing flowers; the second to the hornless 

 sterile flowers; and the last to those which, together with 

 other structural differences, bear the horns at the base, 

 instead of the apex, of the column. When growing, too 

 much water can scarcely be given them, provided they be 

 well drained; but, when resting 'they should be dried as 

 thoroughly as a deciduous Dendrobe ; the resting period to 

 continue from the time the new growths are fully completed 

 until they again begin to grow, no matter how long it may 

 be, unless flower-spikes appear, in which case water should 

 be given until the flowers are decayed. 

 Catasetums may be grown with consider- 

 able success in pots, but baskets are much 

 more satisfactory. 



<Xbarbatmn (bearded). JL, sepals and petals 

 narrow, green, and blotched wfthpurple ; lip 



SES fflSfrwSS S?. fc S4 d "ffir 



Demerara, 1836. (B. B. 1778.) 



C. callosnm (hardened).* jl. brownish-yellow ; 

 petals linear-lanceolate, same form as dorsal 

 sepal; lip orate-oblong, obtuse, saccate 

 towards the base, crenated and furnished 

 abore the sac with a large orange-coloured 

 callosity; column acuminate June. A. 1ft 

 La Guayra, 1840. (B. M. 4219.) 

 (crested). JL greenish; perianth spreading; lip 



opened out, saccate, crested. August. A. 2ft Baal, 1821 



(B. B, 9 ' " 



*, - and inodorous leaves, 



Is in the axfe of the principal 

 . by its much less crowded racemes, an 

 its much larger flower, fruit, and and. 



racemes, and by 



referring to an 



iga-leaved). A synonym of C. Kgnmiaiiln. 

 \ (from tatanangbt, a strong incentive ; 

 it custom 



the Greek women of 

 using it in lore potions). ORD. Composite. Very pretty and 

 free-growing annuals or perennials. Pappus scaly pointed : 

 involucre scarious; florets aQ ligulate; heads solitary, on 

 long stalks. They thrive in ordinary border soiL In- 

 creased by rninflm, which should be sown in March or April. 

 and the young plants, when large enough, potted off or 

 pricked out in the position they are intended to occupy. 

 The flowers are very useful for cutting. 



blue, or blue and white. August 

 with one or two little teeth on 



* (yellowX JL-headt yellow. June. A. 1ft J. similar to 

 of C. earuka. South Europe, 1640. Hardy annual 



"^ 



(S. F. 6. 82L) 



CATASETTJM (from koto, downward, and seta, a 

 bristle; referring to the position of the two horns of the 

 column). ORD. Orehidece. A large genus of strong, rapid- 

 growing stove epiphytes, more curious than beautiful 

 Flowers generally green, in erect or drooping racemes 

 from the base of the stem ; sepals and petals of a firm, 

 leathery texture. Leaves plaited, membranous. It is 

 probable that if better known, this genus, as well as its 

 allies, Cycnoehe* and Mormodes, would be more generally 

 cultivated, as the singular structure of their flowers always 

 commands . considerable amount of interest; while the 

 manner in which the pollen masses of the Catasetums are 

 ejected, is in itself a great curiosity. Another charac- 

 teristic of the Catasetnms and Cycnoches is the occasional 

 production of two or three kinds of flowers on the same 

 plant, sometimes on the same flower-spike. So dissimilar 

 are these flowers, that, when first observed, they were con- 

 sidered to belong to distinct genera, and named respectively 

 Catasetum, Monachanthus, and Myanth**, the first name 



Fie. 382. CATA.NA.XCHE OKBCLXA. 



(spotted).* JL green, 

 Amenta spotted i 



with purple, two 

 Sej&tiS. k. 3ft 



