74* COOL ORCHID GROWING. 



plant ; leaves from three to five inches long ; somewhat 

 glaucous, and spreading horizontally ; flowers borne solitary 

 on erect scapes, six to nine inches high ; the dorsal sepal is 

 large and hairy, of a greenish white colour, striped and reti- 

 culated with purple ; petals same colour, curved somewhat 

 like the letter S ; it is one of the prettiest species we have ; 

 flowers about September, and lasts a month or six weeks. 



*C. hirsutissimum (Java, 1857). Leaves green, about a foot 

 long ; flowers from four to six inches across, solitary or in 

 pairs, on erect hairy scapes ; sepals and petals green, shaded 

 with purple, and dotted with brown : lip greenish, with a pro- 

 fusion of brown dots ; generally blooms in the spring, and 

 lasts from four to six weeks ; it is not so showy as some of its 

 congeners, but is worth growing. 



G. insigne (Nepaul, 1821). One of the earliest introduced 

 species, and one of the best for free-flowering qualities ; it is 

 not particular as to temperature, as it will grow well in a pit, 

 if the temperature is kept above freezing, or it will bear the 

 heat of the East Indian house with impunity ; leaves a foot or 

 more long ; bright green ; flowers solitary on chocolate- 

 coloured scapes a foot high ; dorsal sepal large, white at the 

 apex ; green towards the base, and profusely spotted with 

 brown. This is a splendid old winter-flowering plant, its 

 waxy flowers lasting from six to eight weeks. 



a. C. insigne Maulei. This is a fine variety of the normal 

 type, from which it differs in its having larger and brighter 

 coloured flowers, with much more white on the dorsal sepal 

 or standard. 



*C. Lowii. Although this strong-growing species is epi- 

 phytal on high trees in the dense jungles of Borneo and 

 Sarawak, it does remarkably well under cool treatment ; 

 leaves from twelve to sixteen inches long, dark green ; scapes 

 from two to four feet long, two to five flowered ; colour 



