ORCHIDS 



ORCHIDS 



2393 



all seasons, and are closely allied to vanda, requiring 

 the same general temperature and treatment. 



Dendrobiums are most common throughout India, 

 Moulmein being a central district, but they are also 

 plentiful and widely distributed throughout eastern 

 Australia, New Guinea, the islands of the west Pacific 

 and Oceanica under various climatic conditions. The 

 larger part of them, especially the deciduous species, are 

 subjected to long droughts and long resting periods, 

 but as they lose their foliage at that time their evapo- 

 rating surface is reduced to a minimum, and the effect 

 of the dry heat through the day is more than counter- 

 acted by heavy dews and the condensing vapors which 

 arise in the early mornings in those countries. 



Bulbophyllums and coelogynes have their homes 

 principally in the mountainous forests of East India and 

 Borneo, where they are copiously supplied by frequent 

 rains. Nearly all grow best in the Brazilian department. 



Cattleyas and telias inhabit the humid forests of the 

 various mountain ranges of tropical America, from 

 Mexico south through Colombia to Peru, the North 

 Amazon Valley, through Venezuela and Guiana, and 

 the mountain belt of eastern and southern Brazil, usu- 

 ally at an altitude of 2,000 to 5,000 feet, excepting the 

 Mexican species, L. albida, L. anceps, L. autumnalis 

 and L. majalis, which grow at 5,000 to 8,000 feet, com- 

 monly among polypodium fern. 



Cattleyas and Iselias grow on rocks and trees often 

 devoid of other vegetation along the margins of rivers 

 and ravines, usually in shade, where they receive a copi- 

 ous supply of water from heavy dews and condensation 

 of morning fogs which saturate the forests during the 

 dry season, and often excessive rains while growing. 

 They should be grown in the Brazilian department, 

 excepting Cattleya citrina, the Mexican Iselias and L. 

 Jongheana, which thrive best in the Mexican depart- 

 ment or warm end of the New Granadan house. 



Stanhopeas are found from southern Mexico south to 

 Peru, Venezuela, Guiana and Brazil at rather low eleva- 

 tions, often in dense forests, the individual species hav- 

 ing a very wide range. The Brazilian house affords 

 them the best temperature, but they may be grown in 

 any of the departments with success. 



Epidendrum is a large and varied genus, widely dis- 

 tributed throughout tropical America and in the United 

 States from South Carolina southward, and one of the 

 few epiphytal genera inhabiting the United States. 

 They are found at all elevations from sea-level to 10,- 

 000 feet or more. The writer found E. ibaguense grow- 

 ing in quantity on the margin of perpendicular clay 

 ridges fully exposed to the sun at this altitude in the 

 United States of Colombia in a robust, healthy state, 

 and the same species below 5,000 feet in the same con- 

 dition. Many of the individual species cover a wide 

 range of distribution. They require the same general 

 treatment as Iselias and Cattleyas. Few species are 

 worthy of cultivation except for botanical purposes. 



Maxillarias cover much the same range as the last 

 genus, but are not quite so widely distributed. They 

 grow equally well in either the Brazilian or Mexican 

 departments. 



Oncidiums are distributed along the mountain ranges 

 from southern Mexico to Peru, in the southern and 

 norther portions of Brazil, chiefly along the coast, the 

 Spanish Main and islands of the Caribbean sea. The 0. 

 carthaginense and O. Papilio sections are found at sea- 

 level and seldom above 500 feet elevation. These grow 

 best in the Brazilian house. Nearly all of the other 

 species may be grown in the Mexican department, except 

 a few, such as 0. cucidlatum, 0. Phal&nopsis and the 0. 

 macranthum section, which are found at high altitudes; 

 these should be grown in the New Granadan department. 



Odontoglossums follow the higher wooded mountain 

 ranges from southern Mexico, Cental America and the 

 Central Andes of Colombia south to Peru and the 

 northwestern portion of Venezuela, all at high altitudes. 



They usually grow in the moist shady forests, where 

 the rainy season is long continued or condensing fogs 

 and dews are very heavy, keeping many of the species 

 in an almost perpetual state of saturation, their only 

 relief of excessive moisture appearing to be from the 

 frequent heavy winds that prevail in these regions. The 

 Mexican species grow well in the cool end of the Mexican 

 department, while those of the 0. luteo-purpureum and 

 O. crispum type require the New Granadan house. 



Lycastes are distributed from southern Mexico to 

 Peru along the mountain ranges, usually at an altitude 

 of 4,000 feet in rather shaded locations; they are most 

 common from southern Colombia to their northern 

 limit. L. tetragona is from southern Brazil and far 

 removed from the general area of distribution, with 

 little resemblance to any other species. Its 4-angled 

 monophyllus pseudobulbs produce semi-pendent scapes 

 carrying often as many as eight flowers, not unlike a 

 cymbidium in general appearance. Lycastes grow well 

 in either the Mexican or New Granadan department. 



Selenipediums are the South American representa- 

 tives of cypripedium. They are distributed from Costa 

 Rica south to Bolivia, through Venezuela, Guiana and 

 eastern Brazil, from 3,000 to 8,000 feet elevation, in 

 wet marshes and on the branches of trees in shaded 

 forests, in all cases where they get a bounteous supply 

 of water at all seasons. The Brazilian or Mexican 

 department suits them equally well. 



Masdevallias, restrepias, and pleurothalh's grow at 

 high elevations in Venezuela, Mexico and south to 

 Peru, with a few in the Organ Mountains of Brazil, 

 their principal center being Colombia near the odontp- 

 glossum district. They always follow the mountain 

 ranges, growing on trees, rocks and on wet, marshy 

 slopes, in extremely wet locations. The chimaera sec- 

 tion is found at the lowest elevation. They all grow 

 best in the New Granadan department. 



Newly imported orchids. 



On arrival of cases of orchids from their natural 

 habitats, they should be carefully unpacked as speedily 

 as possible, in an isolated room where insect pests that 

 often arrive in the cases may be destroyed, and laid 

 carefully and loosely against one another, on the bench 

 of a shady well-ventilated house or packing-shed. 

 Should they all be found in good condition, the pseudo- 

 bulbous species, such as cattleyas and laelias, should be 

 hosed over thoroughly and allowed to remain for about 

 a week, at the end of which time they should be exam- 

 ined for any signs of decay and bruises. All such parts 

 should be removed with a sharp knife. The plants 

 should be cleaned and sponged to remove dust, potted 

 or basketed, as the case requires, and placed in a shady 

 portion of their respective departments, allowing them 

 sufficient water gradually to start them into action, 

 after which tune they will require the same treatment 

 afforded established plants of their kind. 



Cypripediums, masdevallias, phalsenopsis, vandas, 

 the batemannia and bollea sections of zygopetalum and 

 other non-pseudobulbous genera should be placed on 

 damp sphagnum in a well-shaded airy department for 

 a week or ten days, without syringing, until it is ascer- 

 tained what amount of damage they have received in 

 transit. After sponging the leaves carefully and remov- 

 ing any decayed and bruised parts, they may be potted 

 and basketed, and removed to their proper quarters, 

 watering sparingly until they start new action. 



It is customary in some establishments to hang newly 

 imported orchids by the roots, tops down, from the roof 

 of the house or beneath the benches until they show 

 signs of new action, but they invariably suffer more or 

 less from this practice and are better treated as above. 



Pots, baskets, and supports. 



Many orchids are best cultivated in the ordinary 

 earthen pots and pans, more especially terrestrial 



