CYMBIDIUM EBURNEUM. 
[PLate 467. | 
Native of Northern India. 
Terrestrial. Psewdobulbs ovate, covered by the sheathing bases of the leaves, 
which are numerous, narrowly sword shaped, bilobed at the apex, arching, and from 
one to two feet in length. Peduncle erect, shorter than the leaves, clothed below 
with several acute bracts, and usually bearing a single flower; sometimes, however, two 
blooms are produced. Flowers large, thick, waxy, and very fragrant, some three 
inches-and-a-half across, clear ivory-white, as is every other portion of the flower, 
saving a few specks of purple on the lip, and the raised fleshy plates on the 
lip which are deep yellow; sepals and petals oblong-lanceolate, spreading, thick 
and waxy in texture; lip three lobed, the lateral lobes incurved, middle lobe 
somewhat triangular, bilobed in front and crisped at the edges, bearing some raised 
fleshy plates on the disc. Column clavate, narrowly winged, white, slightly stained 
with rosy purple in front, 
Cymprprum EBURNEUM, Lindley, Botanical Register, 1847, t. 67. Id. Journal 
of Linnean Society, i, p. 28. Paxton’s Magazine of Botany, xv., p. 145. 
Botanical Magazine, t. 5126. Select Orchidaceous Plants, i., t. 27. Jennings 
Orchids, t. 16. Hook. fil., Flora of British India, vi., p. 11. Willams’ Orchid 
Grower's Manual, 6th ed., p. 2382. | 
This chaste and beautiful plant was found many years ago by the celebrated 
traveller, Griffith, but its deliciously fragrant flowers were first seen with Messrs. 
Loddiges, of Hackney, in 1847. From this time forward, although the plant 
grew well, it remained very scarce and expensive until 1875, when we imported a fine 
batch of it in splendid condition from India, the collector of our plants sending 
us word that in the cool season their leaves were broken: down, and that 
sometimes they had snow upon them; but when the warm weather returned the 
Cymbidiums came up again and flowered profusely, reminding him of clumps of great 
white Tulips. Before this time the plant had been subjected to the hottest possible 
treatment; but we had to become teachers to the people of the proper method of 
ensuring a crop of bloom, and the plants imported by us, and shortly afterwards 
by other firms, ensured the popularity of the species, which had until 1875 been — 
in a waning condition through its flowering so seldom. 
The plant here figured is one of the batch before mentioned, and which we 
imported ourselves when the plant was rare and but little understood. Many of 
these plants were established under a north wall in the open air in the summer 
of 1875, and this is’ one of those which flowered in our nursery, Upper Holloway, 
