LAXLIA SUPERBIENS. 
[PuaTE 244. ] 
Native of Guatemala and Mexico. 
Epiphytal. Stems oblong fusiform, from six or eight inches to a foot or more in 
length, clothed with sheathing membranaceous pale-coloured scales, diphyllous. Leaves 
oblong acute, six to nine inches long, of a rigid leathery texture, and deep 
green colour. Scape terminal, very long, four to five feet in length, or sometimes 
even reaching to eight or ten feet, clothed with pallid sheathing scales, and bearin 
at the extremity a clustered raceme of from fifteen to twenty flowers, which have a 
richly coloured lip. Flowers, each subtended by a large ‘brown lanceolate bract 
as long as the ovary, six to seven inches in expansion, the narrowish sepals and 
petals spreading -out like a star; sepals narrow linear-lanceolate, entire, tapered to 
the base, of a delicate rosy blush, with a white central bar at the lower part ; 
petals similar both as to form and colour, yellowish green below, sometimes a trifle 
broader, wavy; lip oblong, panduriform, three-lobed, the lateral lobes short, meeting 
over the column, which they exceed in length, the apex deep rose elegantly veined 
with deeper rose-crimson on the inner side, the front lobe very much longer, oblong 
obtuse, much undulated, deep rosy crimson, veined throughout the margins and apex 
with darker crimson, the centre or disk bearing five thin elevated denticulated 
yellow lamelle which form an oblong crest truncate in front, and extending half 
the length of the lip. Column decurved semiterete, scarcely thickened upwards, 
pale greenish purple towards the base, more rosy at the tip. 
LALIA SUPERBIENS, Lindley, Botanical Register, 1840, misc. 87; Id., 1842, under 
t. 62; Bateman, Orchidacee of Mexico and Guatemala, t. 38; Hooker, Botanical 
Magazine, t. 4090; Van Houtte, Flore des Serres, tt. 1178-79; Warner, Select 
Orchidaceous Plants, i., t. 20; Paxton, Magazine of Botany, xi., 97 with tab.; 
Williams, Orchid-Grower’s Manual, 6 ed., 368 
BLETIA suPERBIENS, Leichenbach fil., Xenia Orchidacea, ii., 46; Id., Walpers’ 
Annales Botanices Systematic, vi., 41 
The subject of the accompanying illustration, which is a very old inhabitant of 
our stoves, is also one of the most noble Lelias we have in cultivation. We recollect 
well the grand massive specimen that was sent home by Mr. Hartweg to the Horticultural 
Gardens, at Chiswick, and which sometimes produced nine spikes of its beautiful 
flowers, the scapes being at least seven feet in height, and the whole plant pre- 
senting a truly noble appearance. We have not seen such a specimen before or 
since. It is a large growing plant, but is worth all the room it takes up, especially 
in such houses as are in these days built for large growing Cattleyas and Leelias. 
The fact that this is a winter flowering plant makes it all the more valuable, and 
when placed on the stage the long scapes throw out the flower spikes over the 
