228 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Lselia continued. 



pseudo-bulb, from 1ft. to 2ft. long, and three to six-flowered. 

 December and January. I. ligulate, coriaceous, dark green, 

 usually in twos Pseudo-bulbs roundish, clustered. Guatemala, 

 1838. See Fig. 369. (B. M. 3957.) There are several forms of this 

 handsome species, some producing much larger flowers, with 

 broader petals, than the type, while, in others, the sepals and 

 petals are of a deep flesh-colour, with a rich mauve lip. The 

 following varieties are especially worthy of mention : 



L. a. brnnnea (brown), fl., sepals and petals, and the anterior 

 part of the lip, of a fine chestnut-brown ; base of lip marked 

 with beautiful purplish veins. Mexico, 1868. A handsome, neat, 

 and useful variety. 



L. a. Mariance (Marian's), fl., sepals and petals flesh-colour, 

 changing to salmon ; lip mauve, with buff stripes. A very pretty 

 cool-house variety, with compact habit, and pale green foliage. 



L. a. ochraoea (ochreous). fl., sepals and petals pallid brown ; 

 lip with a white disk, washed with purple in front of the column, 

 and with purplish veins on the lateral segments ; the anterior part 

 brownish. Mexico, 1868. 



L. a.rosea(rosy)./. tipped with purple. Mexico, 1869. (F. M. 

 335.) 



L. a. Tuckeri (Tucker's). /. amethyst, purple, and yellow. 

 Mexico, 1868. 



L. anceps (two-edged).* fl. fragrant, 2in. to 4in. across ; sepals and 



FIG. 370. FLOWER OP L^ELTA ANCEPS. 



petals rose-lilac ; lip deep purple, shaded with lilac ; scape three 

 to six-flowered. December and January. L solitary, or in pairs, 

 broadly-lanceolate, bright shining green. Pseudo-bulbs ovate, 

 somewhat four-angled, from 4in. to 6in. long. Mexico, (about) 

 1834. This thrives on a block, but, as it attains to a considerable 

 size, its weight renders it best adapted for pot cultivation. Large 

 specimens are remarkably handsome, producing as many as 

 twenty scapes of flowers. See Fig. 370. (B. M. 3804 ; B. R. 1751.) 

 There are several varieties of this very handsome cool-house 

 orchid, varying principally in the intensity of colour, or in 

 the number of flowers which ate borne upon the scape. The 

 following are well worth cultivating : 



L. a. alba (white).* fl. pure white ; lip with a few yellow streaks. 

 Mexico. 



I*, a. Barkeriana (Barker's)." 

 scarce. 



fl. purple. Mexico, 1833. Very 



Laelia continued . 



L. a. Dawsoni (Dawson's).* A distinct, beautiful, and rare 

 variety, with little if anything in its growth to distinguish it 

 from the normal state of the type ; but the inflorescence cannot be 

 mistaken for any other species or variety. The sepals and petals 

 are of a pure waxy-white ; the lip is three-lobed, the side lobes 

 being white, and the centre one purple streaked with lines of a 

 deeper purple ; the ridge, as in the normal state, being yellow. 

 Mexico, 1868. (F. M. 530.) 



L. a. delicata (delicate).* fl., sepals and petals white, stained 

 with rosy-purple ; lip white, suffused with reddish-purple and 

 shaded with violet, the throat being orange-yellow ; spikes four 

 to six-flowered. Mexico. A distinct and handsome form. 



L. a. Hilliana (Hill's). A distinct variety, with the front lobe of 

 the lip two-lobed, and with a deep orange-coloured disk 



L. a. Leeana (Lee's).* fl., sepals and petals rose-coloured, narrow; 

 lip white, with the tips of the lateral lobes, and some veins, of a 

 rich purple. 1882. A handsome variety. 



L. a. pulcherrima (very handsome), fl., lip truncate at tip; 

 lateral angles and front third of middle lobe mauve-purple ; disk 

 light orange, with purple-brown veins. 1883. 



L. a. rosea (rosy), fl. bright rose ; disk of lip yellow, marked with 

 dark lines. Mexico, 1880. 



L. a. vestalis (vestal). A very fine broad-petaled variety, with 

 white flowers, having the callus, disk, and bases of the side lobes, 

 of a deep shining sulphur-colour. 1880. 



L. a. Warnerli (Warner's).* fl., sepals and petals 

 light soft rose ; lip of an intense crimson. June 

 and July. 



L. a. Wolstenholmte (Mrs. Wolstenholm's). fl. 

 medium-sized ; sepals and petals light amethyst, 

 the former dotted on the edges with purple, the 

 latter margined with purple; lip wholly deep 

 purple. A handsome variety. 



It. autumnalis (autumnal).* fl. very finely fra- 

 grant ; sepals lanceolate, spreading, and petals 

 oblong-lanceolate, waved at the edges, both being 

 of a beautiful soft rose-colour; lip three-lobed, 

 rosy-white, with a yellow centre ; scape about 1ft. 

 high, terete, three to six-flowered. December and 

 January. /. two or three, linear-oblong, spread- 

 ing, voriaceous, bright green. Pseudo - bulbs 

 ovate, ribbed, tapering to the apex. Mexico, 1838. 

 A handsome species, thriving best on a block, and 

 requiring plenty of moisture when young. (B. M. 

 3817 ; B. B. 1839, 27.) 



L. a. atrorubens (dark red).* fl. rich reddish or 

 magenta -purple, deepest toward the tips of sepals 

 and petals, especially so on the upper part of the 

 lip, while the lower is almost pure white, and 

 does not clasp the column, as in other species ; 

 sepals and petals revolute at tips ; peduncles long. 

 Pseudo-bulbs short. 



L. callistoglossa (very beautiful-lipped), fl., 

 sepals and petals rose-colour ; lip having the disk 

 whitish, with purple lines, and the front part of a 



L. a. Calvortiana (Cal vert's). A fine variety, somewhat like 

 Dawsoni, but with narrower petals, a rose border to the side lobes 

 of the lip, and the front lobe wholly red-purple. 1883. 



r'ann dark purple. 1882. A garden hybrid between 

 L. purpurata and Cattleya Warscewiczii. Of this 

 very fine and distinct plant, there are several 

 varieties, some of them having much richer- 

 coloured flowers. 



L. caloglossa (beautiful-lipped).* fl. light purple ; 

 lip with an anterior, crisp, crenulate disk, 

 dark-purplish, bordered with white ; lateral 

 edges light purplish. Gardens, 1877. A lovely 

 hybrid. 



L. cinnabarina (scarlet-flowered).* fl. orange- 

 scarlet, with a crispy lip ; scape erect, 1ft. to 

 lift, high, three to five-flowered. March. L 

 usually solitary, erect, dark green, from 4in. to 

 6in. long. Pseudo-bulbs thick and rounded at 

 the base somewhat flask-shaped. Brazil, 1836. This tine species 

 is best suited for pot culture. (B. M. 4302.) 



L. crispilabia (curled-lipped), fl. rosy -purple ; lip finely crisped 

 or undulate ; scape from 12in. to 16in. long, and three to five- 

 flowered. 1. solitary, ligulate. Pseudo-bulbs pyriform. Mexico, 

 1867. A very free-flowering species, known in gardens as L. 

 Lawreneeana. (W. S. O. ser. ii. 6.) 



L. Dayana (Day's).* fl., sepals and petals rosy-purple ; lip rich 

 purpfe, margined with lilac and white. Brazil, 1877. A hand- 

 some free-flowering species, not unlike L. prcestans. (B. H 

 1880, 10.) 



L. Dominiana (Dominy's).* fl. large; sepals and petals light 

 purple, the former with dark reticulations ; lip deep blackish- 

 purple ; scape three-flowered. Autumn, 

 ligulate. Pseudo-bulbs fusiform, 

 hybrid. 



L. Donnaniana (Dorman's).* fl., sepals and petals olive, 

 marbled outside with light port-wine colour, which is diffused as 

 a light line inside, excepting at the top of the odd sepal and petal, 



; lip 



utumn. I. solitary, oblong- 

 Gardens, 1878. A handsome 



