1 30 ADA. 



Ada aurantiaca. 



Pseu(l(i-1)ulbs in tufts, narroAvly ovate-oblong, compressed, 3 — 4 inches 



long, mouo-di[iliyllous. Leaves linear-ligiilate, acute, 7 — 12 inches long. 



Scapes as long as the pseudo-bulbs and terminal leaves taken together, 



bractcate, the bracts subulate, acuti', sheathing, h inch long; racemes 



arching, 7 — 12 or more flowered. Flowers bright cinnabar-red, only 



expanding from above the middle ; sepals and petals linear-lanceolate, 



very acute, with a sunk median line on the face ; the petals shorter 



and narrower than the sepals and with a purple streak on the median 



line ; lip half as long as the sepals, narrowly oblong, acuminate, with 



two short keels at the base. Column very short, concave below the 



stigma. 



Ada aurantiaca, Liudl. Fol. Oich. 1S53. Bot. Mag. t. 5435 (1864), TUus. hort. 

 1872, t. 107. Williams' Oixh. Alb. II. t. 53. Brassia cinnabarina, Lindl. Fol. Orcli. 

 Brassia, No. 15 (1853). Mesospinidium aurantiacum, Rchb. in Walp. Ann. VI. 

 p. 857 (1864). 



This bright-coloured orchid was discovered by the Belgian col- 

 lector, Schlim, about the year 1851 — 2 on the eastern Cordillera of 

 New Granada between Ocaha and Pamplona at 8,500 feet elevation. 

 It remained unknown to horticulture till the desire to possess the 

 beautiful Odontoglots from the same region induced the sending of 

 several collectors to New Granada at the same time,* and by whom 

 a few plants of the Ada were sent to Europe in 1853 ; among the first 

 of these to flower was one in Mr. Bateman's collection at Biddulph 

 Grange, near Congleton, in January, 1864; but the usual flowering- 

 season of established plants is February and March. Frequent im- 

 portations since the date mentioned above have rendered Ada 

 aurantiaca one of the best known and most appreciated of cool 

 orchids. 



Cultural Note. — Growing at an altitude and under conditions similar 

 to those under which most of the Odontoglots from the same region 

 are found, its cultural treatment is precisely the same as that of the 

 cool Odontoglots. 



Ada Lehmanni.t 



"Habit of Ada aurantiaca but more rigid. Leaves arcuate, linear, 

 acute, coriaceous, dark green more or less marbled with grey blotches, 

 8 — 12 inches long. Scapes erect, rather shorter than the leaves, racemes 

 with 5 — 8 flowers ; bracts lanceolate, acute, shorter than the pedicels. 

 Sepals and petals sub-similar, lineardanceolate, acute, somewhat fleshy, 



* See Odont. p. 30. 

 t Not seen by us. 



