LIST OF COOL ORCHIDS. 81 



The preceding species will furnish abundance of flowers, 

 and several of each should be grown, if space permit. More 

 species might be included in this list, but as they do not bloom 

 profusely they have been omitted. 



Disa. 



A genus of very cool Orchids from the Cape of Good Hope. 

 They are rather numerous and some are showy, but many of 

 them are scarcely worth growing. The blue D. Henshallii 

 and one or two other species have recently been imported and 

 sold at Stevens'. Disa grandiflora is one of the best, and 

 D. macrantha is a magnificent species, very variable in its 

 colour, some varieties being nearly pure white, while others 

 are of the deepest rose colour blotched with crimson. This 

 last is not yet introduced to our collections. The late lamented 

 Dr. W. Harvey found D. grandiflora luxuriating on a table - 

 mountain close to the margin of a stream which always 

 contained vrater, but which overflowed its banks in winter. 

 When the plant flowered it was shaded by the herbage and 

 other vegetation in such a way that only the flowers peeped out 

 at the sun. Its roots would find a congenial coolness in the 

 spongy banks, while the canopy of overhanging vegetation, 

 would prevent the foliage of the Disa from suffering from 

 the blazing sun of lat. 33 Q S. In cultivation Disas should be 

 planted in rough fibrous bog-peat and coarse river sand, using 

 well-drained pans, and then it is next to impossible for anyone 

 to supply them with too much moisture, either at the root or in. 

 the atmosphere of the house or pit where they are grown. They 

 must always occupy a shady position in the house. D. grandi- 

 flora is remarkably well-grown at Ferniehurst, near Bradford, 

 by Mr. E. Culley, gardener to E. Salt, Esq., but the strongest 

 plant I ever saw was in the little known but really excellent 

 collection of: Miss Barre, Park Road, Liverpool. This was 

 the true D. grandiflora superba. 



