supplementary to the JLncyc. of Plants and Hort, Brit. 483 



2517. DENDHO^BIUM [bot. p.leg. 



*Gibs6n2Y Paxt. J/r. Gibson's £ EI or jn.o O.Y Khoseea 1837 D p.r.w Paxt. mag. of 



This is a new and highly beautiful species of the genus 

 Dendrobium, which was discovered by the Duke of Devonshire's 

 collector, Mr. J. Gibson, on the Khoseea Hills, in India. The 

 flowers, which are extremely beautiful, "are produced in long 

 racemes, each bearing from ten to fifteen of them , and are some- 

 what similar to those of D. chrysanthum, but of a much deeper 

 orange colour." The plant " was found growing upon rocks, 

 at an elevation of about 3000 ft., so situated, that, during the 

 rainy season, water, in its course down the mountains, washes 

 completely over the tops of the plants. This fact should not be 

 lost sight of in its cultivation, as it shows the propriety of fre- 

 quently syringing the plant while in a growing state, in addition 

 to the usual practice of keeping the atmosphere of the house in 

 a state of humidity." [Paxtons Mag. of Bot., Sept,) 



Plidius albus Paxt. In p. 377., where the name of this plant 

 occurs for the first time, we noticed Mr. Paxton's promise to 

 communicate, at some future period, his mode of cultivating it ; 

 and this he has done in the Magazine of Botany for August. It 

 seems that the shoots, which are produced in June and July, 

 remain dormant for a year, and then other shoots are produced 

 from the base of the first shoots, which are perfected in Novem- 

 ber or December, while those of the preceding year's growth 

 perish. Hence, the stems of this plant last only eighteen 

 months. It flowers in May, previously to the period at which 

 the shoots begin to grow ; and its dormant season is from De- 

 cember to April. When it becomes dormant, it sheds its leaves, 

 and the bark of the stems turns brown. It should then be placed 

 in a temperature not higher than from 45" to 50° Fahr. After 

 the dormant season, when it begins to shoot from the base of 

 the stems, and " when the young shoot is about half an inch in 

 length, the plant should be repotted into heath soil, well drained 

 at the bottom, and mingled with an abundance of finely broken 

 potsherds." It should then be placed in a humid atmosphere, at 

 the usual temperature of growing Orchideae, and liberally watered 

 at the roots. As it grows, the plant should be syringed once or 

 twice a day, till the flowers begin to appear; when syringing 

 must be left off, but water still supplied liberally to the roots. 

 "Like most orchidaceous plants, it requires to be well shaded 

 during the growing season." When the flowers expand, it may 

 be removed to a cooler house, or to a drawingroom ; and, if kept 

 well shaded, the flowers will continue in perfection three weeks 

 or longer. When the flowers are over, the plant should remain 

 in a cool house, " and be sparingly watered till the leaves begin 

 to turn yellow, when it must be removed into a still cooler 

 situation, and kept moderately dry, in which state it may be 



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