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LAXLIA ALBIDA 2a STOBARTIANA press. 7 
LALIA ALBIDA Bat.: pseudobulbis abbreviatis pyriformi conicis mono-diphyllis, foliis coriaceis lineari ligulatis acutis, pedunculo plurifloro, ovariis 
vulgo glabris, rarius furfuraceis, bracteis squamzformibus triangulis brevissimis, sepalis ligulatis obtuse acutis, tepalis cuneato oblongis obtuse acutis, labelli 
trifidi laciniis posticis semiovatis antice obtusangulis, lacinia obovata seu semiovata obtusa seu 
emarginata seu obtuse acuta, carinis geminis undulatis a labelli basi in discum lacinia antica tertia 
carinula minori vulgo interposita. . 
LA:LIA ALBIDA Bat. in Lindl. Bot. Reg. xxv., 1839! Misc. 4! xxiii, 1841! Misc. 21! Hook. 
Bot. Mag, 1842, 3957 ! 
Pseudobulbi pyriformi conici demum sulcati vaginis emarcidis vestiti. Folia usque sesqui- 
pollicaria duas tertias pollicis nunc excedentia. Pedunculus usque bipedalis squamis distantibus 
vestitus. Flos candidus. Labelli carine flav, basi nunc purpureze, Columna alba hinc roseo 
suffusa. Androclinii limbus lobulatus. Pollinia pulchre qualia. 
In Mexico, Oaxaca: S. Pedro Nolasco et la Combre de los Molinos in Quercubus vy. 
Karwinski! Oaxaca: chénes de terre froide 7000—8000! Galeotti, 5017! Tucker! Parasitica in 
Schino molli ad Chapul dep. Puebla, 8000! Decb. 1841. Liebmann! Cordoba Finck! Colima 
Reezl ! Sierra Madre Reezl! Puebla, Chilpancingo Kienast in litt. 
VAR. STOBARTIANIA, Rchb. f, Gard. Chron. 1877, vii. 271!: sepalis tepalisque albis ad 
apicem macula longa intense purpurea, labelli laciniis lateralibus albis striis e punctulis rubris, 
lacinia mediana albo-purpureo-marginata, columna alba, antice purpurea, punctata, basi flava. Exc. 
Stobart dedicata a quo accepi. 
Varietates— ‘ 
@, DISCOLOR: floribus roseolis, labello purpureo ac flavo. Lelia discolor A. Rich! Gal. ! 
Ann. Sc, nat. 1845! p. 23! Haec visa Lelia rosea seu albida rosea Floral Mag. 335, quam iconem 
non ad manus habeo. 
2, LINDLEYANA: sepalis albis apice roseolis, laciniis labelli mediana pallide roseo marginata. 
Lelia anceps Bat., Lindl. Bot. Reg. xxv. 59! 
¢, BELLA, Williams Man. 6 ed. 348!: perigonii sepalis tepalisque albis, tepalis nunc pur- 
pureo lavatis, labelli laciniis lateralibus albis, lacinia mediana purpurea disco luteo. Warner, 
Williams & Moore, Orchid Album. v. 239! Habui ex horto Dr. Wallace. 
d, WILLIAMSIANA: sepalis tepalisque albis, labello purpureo disco flavo. Lelia albida Williams, etc., Orch. Album. iii, 138! 
e. STOBARTIANA, Rchb. f. jam decripta ac illustrata. 
J; BRUNNEA, Rchb. f. Gard. Chron, 1868, 208!: sepalis tepalisque brunneis, labelli laciniis lateralibus albis purpureo nervosis, lacinia mediana 
brunnea, disco ochraceo, columna alba, disco sub foveapurpureo. Tantum ab exc. St. Low habui. 
§- OCHRACEA, Rchb. f. Gard. Chron. 1868, 208!: sepalis albido brunneis, labelli laciniis albis purpureo venosis, lacinie median disco albo, 
nervis flavis, limbo pallide brunneo ochraceo, columna pracedentis. Primum habui ab exc. St. Low deinde ab exc. O’Brien. 
4. SULPHUREA, Rchb. f. Gard. Chron., 1884, xxi, 76!: sepalis tepalisque sulphureis, labello sulphureo laciniis lateralibus atroviolaceo nervosis, lacinia 
mediana lateribus violaceo marginata, columna albido sulphurea, striolis violaceo-purpureis. Warner, Williams & T. Moore Orchid. Album. Vol. vii., 320! 
Habui ab exc. Heath & Son, Exotic Nurseries, Cheltenham. 
7, TUCKERI, Rchb. f. Gard. Chron. 1868, 208!: sepalis tepalisque late ac intense purpureis, labelli laciniis lateralibus carneis, lineis paucis purpureis, 
lacinia antica purpurea, basi disco albo, columna alba, ima basi purpureo punctata ac marginata. Quantum credo, exc. H. Low & Sons unicam plantam 
introduxerant pulcherrimam. HT. G. Rehb. f. 
Icones analytic. Flos expansus. Labellum expansum + 
Columna a latere et antice + 
WuEN Laelia albida was first introduced, from Mexico just half a century ago, it was the only white flowered Lzelia known, 
so that it at once became a highly prized plant and has been a favourite ever since. Modest though its flowers be in 
colour and size, they come in the depth of winter, when flowers are scarce, and their gracefulness, their pleasant fragrance, 
and the long time they last in beauty, add greatly to the charms of the plant. It is one of the few orchids that are 
depended upon for affording flowers at Christmas, when they are invaluable for cutting, lasting as they do for several 
weeks in a cool room. A large mass of this Lelia in bloom is a glorious sight. We had some grand masses of it last 
flowering season, one of which bore no fewer than 111 spikes of bloom and remained the attraction of the nursery for 
some weeks. 
This Lelia is a native of Oaxaca, the centre of. the rich orchid region of Mexico. It was discovered in 1832 by 
Count Karwinsky who found it growing on trees, chiefly oaks, on the outskirts of the forests at elevations of from 5000 to 
6000 feet. Thousands of plants have been collected in these forests and sent to Europe, and still our collectors are able 
to send home enormous masses from districts that have apparently been unexplored. Although there is no great tendency 
in L. albida to vary in the colour, size, or form of its flowers, there are a few distinct and very lovely varieties in 
cultivation, the most important being the following, which differ from the type chiefly in colour. That named bella has 
the sepals and petals creamy white tipped with purplish rose, with the lip of a deeper hue and adorned with a conspicuous 
blotch of pale yellow ; the flowers of this variety are somewhat larger than the type. The variety rosea has the whole 
flower suffused with a rosy pink tint. In salmonea the petals and sepals are tinted with salmon red. Sulphurea is 
distinct in having its petals and sepals of quite a pale sulphur yellow, with a rose pink lip. The variety Stobartiana, 
which forms the subject of our plate, has the sepals and petals blotched at top with purple. It is dedicated to William C. 
Stobart Esq, Etherley Lodge, Darlington. Tuckeri is dark purple; they all flower about the same time, usually 
throughout November and December and far into January. 
Under culture this Leelia, like most of the Mexican orchids, succeeds best in a very moist atmosphere, with all the 
sunlight possible during the time it is forming its new bulbs and flower spikes. Active growth occurs from about June 
to September ; the temperature should then range between 70 deg. and 80 deg. F. with the atmosphere more or less 
saturated with moisture according to the weather, and this can be affected by syringing the plants and stages. After 
September the temperature will fall gradually, but a moister atmosphere must be maintained, as the new flower spikes 
begin to form as soon as the current season’s bulbs are fully developed. The flowers begin to expand about the middle 
of November and continue till January ; the plants should then be allowed a long rest by keeping them cool and dry until 
the days get longer and warmer. Basket or raft culture suits this orchid best as the plants can thus be hung close under 
the glass and enjoy all the light possible. With fibrous peat to root in and placed under the conditions stated above, 
Leelia albida can be grown with perfect success. It has the reputation of dwindling away under cultivation, but this is 
usually due to improper treatment 
From a plant now in the Imperial Botanic Gardens, St. Petersburg. 
