286 THE PRINCIPLES OF FLORICULTURE 



Lcelia Jongheana (February and March), amethyst, labellum 

 white with seven yellow ridges in throat. 



Group 3. The pseudobulbs are a foot or more long, oblong 

 or club-shaped, tapering below to a sheathed and jointed stalk. 

 This group contains the largest and most showy Laelias. They 

 form robust, bushy plants. The flower-stems are long, bearing 

 from two to seven flowers. 



Lcelia Digbyana (Brassavola) (July and August), cream-white 

 flowers, lip streaked with purple and beautifully fringed ; 



Lcelia crispa (June to August), petals and sepals white with pale 

 purple at base, margins very finely crisped and wavy; 

 lip white, streaked with purple-yellow at base ; 



Lcelia purpurata (May and June), flowers very large, white, 

 lip purple-crimson; 



Lcelia superbiens (January and February), a very large species; 

 petals and sepals lilac-purple ; lip yellow at base ; crimson- 

 purple on margins ; 



Lcelia grandis (March and April), a species with erect peduncle; 

 bearing from three to five flowers, which are four inches 

 across. The petals are broader than the sepals ; and are 

 tawny yellow in color ; the lip is tube-shaped, white, veined 

 with purple ; 



Group 4. The pseudobulbs are slender, reed-like and tufted. 

 This group includes a few species with bright scarlet or orange 

 flowers. The flower stems are from six to twenty inches long. 

 Lcelia monophylla and cinnabarina are the principal species. 



382. Laelia, botanical characters. Lselias resemble 

 cattleyas closely, varying only by the presence of eight 

 pollen masses instead of four, and in minor floral 

 differences. 



Habitat. Mexico, Guatemala, southern Brazil, one 

 from Jamaica. 



383. Culture of laelias. Group 3, which resembles 

 more nearly the cattleyas, should have the warmest 

 temperature. A warm corner of the cattleya house 

 would suit them best. 



Group 2 should have a cooler temperature. They also 



