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LALIA DORMANIANA., 
[Pate 401.] 
Native of Rio de Janeiro. 
Epiphytal. Pseudobulbs stem-like, slender, terete, slightly swollen at the base, 
when young clothed with membraneous sheaths, from six inches to a foot high, and 
bearing upon the apex a pair of leaves ; sometimes, however, three leaves are deve- 
loped, these are lanceolate in shape, thick and leathery in texture, some four or 
five inches long, and rich deep green. Pedunele erect, rising from a large ovate 
sheath, scarcely as long as the leaves, and bearing from one to three flowers, the 
blooms individually measuring about three inches across. Sepals and petals nearly 
equal, spreading, the dorsal sepal and the petals ligulate acute, the lateral sepals 
slightly larger, faleate, the whole olive-green tinged with brown, marbled outside with 
light vinous purple, and spotted on the margins in front with deep purple; lip 
three-lobed, the lateral lobes large, enclosing the column, recurved at the tips, veined 
with purplish crimson, the front lobe somewhat quadrate, apiculate, bright rich 
purplish crimson with a triangular patch of white on the disc. Column short, 
enclosed by the lateral lobes, triangular, white flushed with rosy purple. 
Laura Dormantana, Reichenbach fil., Gardeners’ Chronicle, N.s. xiii., 1880, 
p- 168. Williams’ Orchid Grower's Manual, 6th edition, p. 356. 
This very pretty Lelia, introduced to cultivation within the last few years from 
Brazil; is a very distinct plant, and is supposed to be a natural hybrid, Cattleya 
bicolor and Lelia pumila being its reputed parents. This craze for making plants 
natural hybrids we think should stop, for it is assuming in the first place that we 
have exhausted the stock of the world’s species, and have nothing to fall back upon 
but hybrids, whilst that two plants should be supposed to cross which grow at 80 
great a distance apart, is not at all likely, further, the labellum of ZL. Dormaniana, 
with its large side lobes, does not afford any striking proof of one of its parents 
being a species quite destitute of side lobes to its lip as C. bicolor. L. Dormaniana, 
was discovered by Mr. H. Blunt, whose name is well known as a plant collector for 
Messrs. Low & Co., of Clapton, and as sending home the first spotted forms of 
Odontoglossum Alexandre, which the late Professor Reichenbach named O. Bluntis. | 
The habitat of this Lelia is the mountainous region in the neighbourhood of Rio de 
Janeiro, at from 1,500 to 2,000 feet elevation. The plants were sent to this country 
to Mr. R. Bullen, of Lewisham, who distributed it to the public, and it has since 
been found and imported in quantity, so that its hybrid origin seems to be very 
doubtful. This plant was dedicated by Reichenbach to C. Dorman, Esq., of Sydenham, 
a great and enthusiastic lover of Orchids, and in whose collection many grand specimens 
and extraordinary varieties have occurred. Lelia is a splendid genus of Orchids, very oe 
closely allied to Cattleya, as is proved by the ease with which they ay he irene: oS 
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