512 Batemati^s Orcliidacece. 



that it might attract the man of pleasure by its splendour; the 

 virtuoso, by its rarity ; and the man of science, by its novelty and 

 extraordinary character." This, Mr. Bateman considers, will 

 account for the Orchido-mania which now, he says, " pervades 

 all, and especially the upper classes, to such a marvellous ex- 

 tent. It has extended," he continues, " to the Continent, and 

 promises to rival in intensity the Haarlem mania for tulips." 



The Orchido-mania is based, however, he adds, on a much 

 better foundation than that for tulips ; " for, while mere abstract 

 beauty is all that could be alleged in favour of the one, full fifty 

 good reasons may be brought forward to excuse, and even justif}'-, 

 the other." Of these reasons, the most attractive is the beauty 

 of Orchidacese ; their superiority in this respect, Mr. Bateman 

 says, the most sceptical will allow, though our collections are 

 still in their infancy ; " but, when come to see in all their 

 glory, and arranged in our stoves, with all the advantages 

 of mutual contrast and luxuriant foliage, such plants as the 

 Grammatophyllums and Saccolobiums of the Spice Islands ! or 

 the Dendrobiums of India ! ! or the Catleyas, Sobrateas, Stan- 

 hopeas, and Oncidiums of America ! ! ! then, at least, all will 

 admit that the eye never before rested on a mass of such sur- 

 passing loveliness ; composed as it will be of an assemblage of 

 flowers, each of which is considered the choicest ornament of 

 the country where it spontaneously grows." In a note, Mr. 

 Bateman adds : " Should there be any, especially among the 

 softer sex, who may be disposed to cavil at the hard names 

 which botanists have given to these plants, the fair objectors 

 may adopt (if they prefer them), those by which they are known 

 in their respective localities ; such as the following, for example, 

 which are the simple appellations of some of the finest of the 

 Mexican species ; viz.: — 'Tzauhxilotl,' 'Amazauhtli,' 'Coatzonte 

 coxochitl,' ' Chichiltic tepetlauhxochitl. ' " 



As to the fragrance of the Orchidacese, our author adds, — 



"We question whether ' Araby the blest' can boast of any perfumes that 

 can at all compete in sweetness with those exhaled by such plants as 

 Angrsecum odoi-atissimum Lindl. MS., Tetrapeltis fragrans, Aerides odoratum, 

 and Epidendrum aroraaticum. Other species emit odours which remind the 

 recipient of the smell of a druggist's shop (Stanhopea grandiflora), of the 

 milk of the cocoa nut (Bolbophyllum coccineum), of fresh hay (Oncidium 

 ornithorhynchum), of wallflowers (Acropera Loddigesii), of violets (Maxillaria 

 atropurpurea), of pomatum (Aerides odoratum), of aniseed (Epidendrum 

 anisatum), and angelica (E. umbellatum) ; of noyeau (Maxillaria crassifolia), 

 of cinnamon (M. aromatica), of allspice (Gongora atropurpurea), of citron 

 (Burlingtonia Candida), of musk (Dendrobium moschatum), and of honey 

 (Cycnoches Loddigesii). Some of these yield no fragrance, except in the 

 daytime ; but there are others which, like Epidendrum nocturnum and 

 Brasavola nodosa, are aromatic only by night ; and there are none, we 

 believe, which are positively offensive at any hour either of the night or 

 day." 



