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pure white to deepest red. Dr. Maxwell T. Masters, the editor of the Gardeners’ Chronicle, gave on the 28th November 
ing interesti r introduction :— 
of last year, 1891, the following interesting account of our introd ; 7 ; 
“ The visitor to Messrs. Sander’s richly-stocked establishment at St. Albans may enjoy at the present time a sight 
at has been called the Elephant Moth Dendrobe. A good many 
of no common interest and beauty in the inspection of wh me 
Those who will go and see for themselves will come to the 
superlatives have been made use of in alluding to this plant. alee on 
conclusion that the plant is none the better for these high-flown epithets, which lead rather to distrust than to confidence. 
But in presence of the flowers themselves the visitor is apt to get enthusiastic, and himself indulge in the very figures of 
speech which previously he had made up his mind to consider as auctioneer’s rhetoric. . 
“The outer segments are lanceolate, with a fine point at the tip, and traversed by about iene closely-arranged 
veins. The lateral petals, spread out flat on either side, are broadly wedge-shaped at the HESS, dilating upwards neo an 
obovate rhomboid limb more than twice the width of the sepals, and with about sixteen divergent veins. Mite lip, asa 
whole, forms a broad tube, projecting forward, enclosing the column, and prolonged at one end into a trumpet-like spur ; 
at the other, into a tongue-like fore-lobe directed downwards. The basal part of the lip forms a compressed) inne 
shaped, blunt spur, about 15 mill. long, and the front portion of which is jointed to the narrow base of the disc of the lip. 
This disc is three-lobed, the side-lobes rounded, erect, curved over at the top to form the throat, the centre traversed by 
three or four slightly prominent ridges of a darker purple than the remainder of the lip; fore-lobe ODO: rounded, 
apiculate, bent downwards. The column is short, high-shouldered, striped with purple, with a stall white anther at the 
top of a transverse bar-like ‘rostellum,’ which forms the upper boundary of the wide stigmatic cavity. 
“The mechanism of the flower is easy to understand. The insect alights on the flat fore-lobe of the lip, which is 
displayed to attract his attention. It traverses the tube or throat of the lip, the joint or hinge of which acts as a spring to 
keep him in the way he should go to secure the honey in the spur—a process still further facilitated by the ridges on the 
lip. Thus coaxed and forced to take the right course, he must needs knock off the anther cap, liberate the pollen masses, 
and transfer them to the next flower he visits. 
“Among the flowers kindly placed at our disposal was one wherein the lip had retained the form ordinarily 
reserved for the side petals only; that is to say, the lip had not run away as it generally does, from its more 
symmetrically-formed brothers. In connection with this, the spur was much shorter than usual, and the column had two 
perfect anthers instead of one. Such a flower would afford a gleam of joy to the florist enamoured of circles, and who 
squeezes all the history and interest out of a bloom in order to make it conform to his notion what a flower should be 
like! Such a flower affords a more legitimate delight to the botanist, for it tells a tale, showing him how the orchid 
flower was made, how modified, and why, what its ancestors were like, and what are the relatives of existing orchids. 
This particular flower, moreover, is interesting, as showing that these peloriate flowers are not always terminal, for this 
one was lateral and at the base of the spike, a fact that recalls a correspondence on this very subject with the late Charles 
Darwin, who considered such flowers to be more exclusively terminal in their position than the present writer could or 
can admit.” ; 
From the same paper of November 14, 1891, we quote the following :— 
“The rich sprays of this plant represent it in every shade and combination, from white to dark crimson, and 
always in such beauty as to render the task of selecting the best variety a difficult matter. Here is the typical rosy- 
petalled form of Baron Schroder’s original plant, and beside it a still richer coloured form with fifteen flowers on a spike; 
and glancing along the bank a few of the leading types may be selected. The first to catch the eye is a large pure white 
form, the only colour which can be observed on closer inspection being some delicate pink veining in tl 
one of the cardinal types. Then comes a delicate variety, with blush sepals and blush pet 
rose-coloured lip, with crimson centre, the crimson extending in delicately- 
ing on we find one with flowers richly coloured all over, calling to mind t 
then we find in contrast a large-flowered form which may be called 
segments delicately pinecd with pale lilac. Another has white sepals marbled with rose, and bright rosy-crimson petals 
with dark crimson lip. One of the prettiest has very delicate white flowers with a pale rose-flush over them ; and, indeed, 
although ihere are some highly-coloured forms, it is likely that the light and white varieties will be the favourites—but 
where there is such a wide range all tastes will be satisfied.” 
he lip ; this will be 
als, veined with rose, and a 
traced lines to the front lobe of the lip. Pass- 
he colours of a fine Cattleya Bowringiana, and 
a pure white, with only the outer halves of the 
Our plate was taken from a plant in the collection of Baron J. H. W. Schréder, The Dell Egham 
