December 1, 1888.1 



THE aAllDENfifiS' CR&ONICL& 



629 



Orchids at Fhingilla, Seeton Park, Liverpool. 

 The month of November is not one in which 

 flowers may be expected in great numbers, even in 

 the most varied of collections ; however, there are at 

 present in the Orchid houses of Reginald Young, 

 Esq., numbers of plants of various species in bloom. 

 A very rich collection is being formed by Mr. 



Fine specimens of Oncidium macranthum, 0. 

 ornithorhynchum, O. cheirophorum, 0. maxillaria 

 venusta, were flowering profusely. A specially fine 

 variety of Masdevallia bella was flowering, together 

 with compact masses of the useful M. tovarensis and 

 the pretty and interesting Restrepia antennifera. 



Cattleya gigas was in flower, the width across the 

 flowers being 9J inches ; also C, gigas Sanderiana, C. 



Fig. 87.— arundina bambus-efolia : colour of flower, pale magenta and rose, (see p. 628.) 



Young, and Mr. Poyntz, the gardener, is managing 

 them very well. Amongst Odontoglots a very fine 

 O. crispum virginale was in flower, as well as the 

 ordinary type of 0. crispum. Many examples of 0. 

 Pescatorei, 0. Edwardii, O. Cervantesi decorum, 0. 

 Sanderianum, 0. aspersum, O. grande, were in flower, 

 or pushing their flower-spikes. Several compact and 

 well-flowered Sophronotis grandifiora were remarked, 

 and also a fine plant of Oncidium crispum, with fifty- 

 five flowers on a single spike, 



guttata, and a splendid specimen of C. Bowringiana, 

 very dark in colour, and out of one of Mr. Sander's 

 importations. Cattleyas all round were in good con- 

 dition ; and those in sheath included some which are 

 very distinct. A number of C. Mendelii were as yet 

 undowered, and a rich find in point of variety may 

 reasonably be expected shortly. Cattleya Eldorado 

 and its varieties are well represented, and formed part 

 of the now famous importation of the Liverpool 

 Horticultural Company of 188(3, C. Eldorado splen- 



dens is reported to be superior to the original plant 

 in every point ; it is figured in the Orchid Album, vol. 

 vii., pi. 310. There are plants in the collection of C. 

 E. Wallisii and C. E. crocata, and its sub-variety 

 rosea. 



The new and beautiful Cattleya chrysotoxa was 

 just over; it was remarked that C. Bungarothii 

 enjoys the treatment afforded it. Prominent 

 amongst a fine batch of Calanthes is a fine form of 

 C. Veitchii, which justly merits its varietal name 

 superba. Several fine masses of Cudogyne cristata, 

 C. c. Lemoiniana, Chatsworth, Trentham, maxima, 

 and C. Massangeana were growing with much vigour, 

 and will yield great numbers of flowers a few weeks 

 hence. 



Strong plants of Angraicum sesquipedale, A. San- 

 derianum, Cymbydium Lowianum, C. ebtirneum, Mil- 

 tonia Candida grandifiora, and Oncidium Cavendishi- 

 anum were pushing spikes of commensurate strength. 

 Lielias are great favourites with Mr. Young, and 

 several excellent forms of L. anceps morado were 

 observed in flower, which will be followed by others. 

 One very compact specimen carrying nineteen, and 

 another of the recently introduced L. a. grandifiora 

 (true;, thirteen spikes ; L. albida var. sulphurea, L. fur- 

 furacea, and L. autumnalis atro-rubens were very 

 fine, and flowering as they do at this season of the 

 year, these species should be very extensively grown 

 by all who admire winter flowers. Warner's form of 

 Loelia gigantea is one of the finest and rarest of the 

 genus, and was represented by a vigorous specimen. 



The Dendrobiums grown are many, and consist of 

 fine specimens of I). Brymerianum, D, Leechianum, 

 a remarkable one of D. Ainsworthii, D. A. var. 

 rosea, O. luteocarpum, D. Wardianum Lowii, D. 

 Dearei, D. formosum giganteum, D. crassinode var. 

 Barbeiianum. All of these were showing a profu- 

 sion of flowers. 



Cypripediums in flower v/ere C. Spicerianum mag- 

 nificum, C. Lowianum, a 20-inch panful ; a fine mass 

 of C. Godefroya:, C. barbatum pulcherrimum, C. Ash- 

 burtoniaj, and C. vexillarium superbum. Noticeable 

 amongst those not in flower were large plants of 

 C. Argus, u.'nanthum superbum, Leeanum, Measuresi- 

 anum, Druryi, Robelinii, Morganeanum, Schrodera;, 

 grande, Curtisii, Sanderianum, bellatulum, Selli- 

 gerum majus, and others. 



Other Orchids of interest were the scarce Oncidium 

 Lauceanum var. Louvrexianum, apical lobe pure 

 white ; Vanda Sanderiana, Renanthera coccinea, 

 Cymbidium Hookerianum, and Brassia ICeiliana 

 tristis, all of which were in good trim. F, Ashlon. 



Ansellia africana. 

 Several varieties of this species of Orchid exist 

 which vary considerably both in height and in the 

 depth of colour of the flowers, but the variety called 

 nilotica is probably the best, being dwarfer in habit, 

 with darker and more distinctly marked flowers. It 

 is also the most compact in habit. It does not, 

 however, appear to be so plentiful as the typical 

 form, examples of which are now flowering in the 

 warm Orchid-houses at West Mount, Billhead, 

 Glasgow. Their reed-like stems — about 3 feet 

 high, with numerous branched-drooping racemes of 

 flowers nearly a foot long, and as much over — were 

 conspicuous objects in the house. The flowers are 

 freely spotted with reddish-brown on a yellowish- 

 green ground. The flower-spikes are not very useful 

 for cuttings, but if kept free from damp, in a mode- 

 rately warm temperature, the flowers will last for a 

 long time in perfection. Mr. Wilson grows his 

 plants in plenty of material, and affords them much 

 light and heat while making their growth, and 

 obtains healthy, free-flowering specimens. 



Maxillaria (Lycaste) picta. 

 Although not so showy as some other members of 

 the genus, yet, owing to the delicious perfume of its 

 flowers, it is a favourite subject with many. The 

 plant grows and flowers freely, and is neat in habit, 

 The flowers, borne on moderately stout peduncles,, 

 are spotted and lined with purple-brown on a pale 

 yellowish ground. Not unlike M, acntipetala, but 



