figuring this beautiful variety we are indebted to the kindness of J. Broome, Esq., 
Sunny Hill, Llandudno, in whose collection it flowered for the first time in the 
month of July, 1889, and we have again recently received flowers from the 
same garden in Wales. 
Lelia elegans Broomeana, like all the varieties of this species, 1s an evergreen 
plant, with a robust constitution, producing stem-like pseudobulbs some eighteen 
inches to two feet in height, bearing a pair of leaves, thick and leathery in texture, 
and deep green in colour. The growth when mature forms its sheath on the top of 
the bulb, and produces its spike, which bears numerous flowers of a large size; these 
are strikingly beautiful, and delicately fragrant. The sepals and petals are rich deep 
purple in colour, becoming paler at the base, and bearing a few darker spots; lip 
in the front lobe deep velvety maroon, the side lobes, which are rolled over the 
column, being creamy white, tipped with rich maroon. It blooms during the months 
of July and August. The typical JZ. elegans, and all its varieties, enjoy an 
abundance of heat during the growing season ; indeed, it will scarcely be possible 
to put them in too strong a heat, provided the hottest rays of the sun are 
kept from them, for although we have found these plants to enjoy full exposure 
to the light, they yet require shading from the full solar heat. During the 
growing season an abundance of humidity in the atmosphere, and a fair amount of 
water to their roots is also necessary, and therefore good drainage is absolutely 
essential to their weli being. After flowering time, which is their season of rest, very 
little water will suffice, the temperature must be reduced, and only sufficient water 
given the roots to prevent shrivelling in any part of the plant. They grow 
naturally upon the stems and branches of trees, but under cultivation we find them 
thrive best under pot culture, using for soil, good peat fibre (from which all the 
fine part has been shaken), a little chopped sphagnum moss, and some medium- 
sized nodules of charcoal ; the whole should be built up into a cone-like mound above 
the pot’s rim, and be made very firm; this cannot be done if pieces of charcoal of 
too large a size are introduced. Nothing is more injurious to a plant than to 
be so potted, that the slightest movement causes it to rock about, straining the 
roots, and oftentimes breaking them entirely. ; 
