BRASSIA. 121 



all natives of tropical America, of which the greater number are 

 dispersed over the West Indian Islands and the adjacent parts of 

 Guiana, Venezuela, and New Granada; three or four are reported 

 from Guatemala and Costa Eica, two from the Peruvian Andes, and 

 one is vaguely stated to be a native of Brazil. 



Cultural Note. — There is scarcely any group of orchids that has 

 proved more tractable under cultivation than the Brassias. All the 

 introduced species grow freely under the treatment iisually given to the 

 warmer Oncids, the routine for jiotting, watei'ing, shading, &c., being 

 the same. As the Brassias are iisually found growing on trees in 

 shade, attention must be given to the shading of the plants especially 

 on bright days in the summer months ; the supply of water must be 

 constant, but regulated as to quantity according to the season. The 

 temperature is indicated by the geographical stations of the species ; thus 

 the "West Indian and Central American kinds may be grown in the East 

 Indian house, but many cultivators prefer an intermediate temperature 

 such as is maintained in the Avarmest position in the Cattleya house. 

 For those species whose native homes are on the Cordilleras of South 

 America an intermediate temperature is undoubtedly the best. 



Brassia Antherotes, 



"Racemosa; sepalis caudatis, petalis bene brevioribus, labello oblongo 

 acuminato antrorsum dilatato antice bene acumuiato, callo baseos ligulato 

 antice connato basi dilatato ampliato intus puberulo velutino, linea 

 angulata utringue anteposita." — H. G. Reichenl)ach, fil. in Gard. Chron. 

 XII. (1879), p. 782. 



Flowers deep yellow, the sepals and i)etals blotched Avith blackish 



jnirple, the Hp spotted with the same colour in the central jiart and 



on each side of the crest. 



Brassia Antherotes, Rchb. in Gard. Chron. loc. cit. "Williams' Orch. Alb. IV. 

 t. 159. 



Discovered by the brothers Klaboch on the Andes of Colombia, 

 and probably introduced by them. It was cultivated by the late 

 Provost Russel, of Falkirk, in 1879, which is the earliest notice we 

 find of its flowering in this country. It is one of the richest 

 coloured Brassias known, but still very rare in gardens. 



B. brachiata. 



Pseudo-I)ull)s fnmi a stout ligneous rhizome, ovoid-oblong, compressed, 

 3 — 5 inches long. Leaves linear-lanceolate, acute, 9 — 12 inches long. 

 Scapes 2 — 3 times as long as the leaves, dull ])Ui'i>lc mottled with pale 

 green, terminating in a 7 — 10 flowered raceme. Flowers among tlie 

 largest in the genus; sej)als 6 inches long, light yellow-green with 2 — 3 

 brown-puritle sp(jts near the base ; petals about two-thirds as long as the 



