OE ———— 
row 
PL. DXXXIII. 
LAELIA HARPOPHYLLA rcup. F. 
THE SWORD-SHAPED LEAVED LAELIA. 
LAELIA. Vide Lindenia, 1, p. 49. 
Laelia harpophylla. (Hybrida inter Laeliam cinnabarinam et Brassavolam?) Valde affinis Laeliae cinnabarinae. 
Pseudobulbo tereti tenui; folio ligulato acuminato; sepalis tepalisque bene acutis ; labelli lacinia media lineari 
acuminata crispa; carinis prope obsoletis, 
Laelia harpophylla Reus. ¥., in Gard. Chron., 1873, p. 542. — Fl. Mag., n. s., pl. 372. — The Garden, 
1883, pl. 400. — WILL., Orch. Alb., III, pl. 117. — Journ. des Orch., VI, p. 230. — Les Orch. exot., p. 800. 
= aelia harpophylla is neither of ancient date nor commonly cultivated ; 
‘ we it flowered for the first time in 1867, and was only described by 
ek) REICHENBACH in 1873. It made its first appearance in England, in the 
celebrated collections of Mr. S. Rucker, at Wandsworth, and of Mr. Day, at 
Tottenham. Its habitat is the southern region of Brazil, whence it has been 
more frequently imported of late years. 
This species cannot evidently be compared with the principal gems of the 
genus, L. purpurata, L. elegans, L. crispa, nor even with L. autumnalis and 
L. anceps, the beauty of which is universally admired. Its flowers are smaller 
‘and less ample, but they attract attention for their remarkable coloration, very 
rare in the Orchidaceous family, and of which there is only one other example 
in the Laelia genus, that of L. cinnabarina. 
Like the latter, L. harpophylla is orange-vermilion in colour, but the flowers 
are rather larger. They enliven the hot-houses about the month of April, and 
remain long in bloom; as for decorating and making bouquets, they are of great 
use, as they form such a bright contrast of colour with the flowers of other cool 
Orchids, in which predominate white and red in every tint, from pale rose 
to dark purple. 
The habit of L. harpophylla is also very distinct, and easy to recognize. 
The plant forms small tufts of cylindric pseudobulbs, about 10 to 15 1/2 inches 
in height, each one bearing at the apex a single narrow ligulate leaf. 
As to the culture, L. harpophylla must be treated much in the same way 
as L. pumila and Cattleya intermedia, which evidently come from the same region. 
It is a cool rather than a Mexican house Orchid properly speaking, and 
must receive regular ventilation and be well watered during the fine season. 
On the other hand, the sun does it no harm, and it only requires shade in the 
hottest part of the summer days. We have seen it thrive perfectly under these 
conditions in a house having a North-West aspect. 
Ue 
cv 
