CALANTHES Str 
water, but very sparingly. The period of necessary rest has arrived, 
and all that would stimulate the plant to growth must be avoided. 
D. nobile, though naturally flowering in spring, may be flowered in 
winter, if introduced to the stove in the autumn. 
Description of Plate 237. Dendrobiwm nobile, var. Upper portions 
Plates237 and 238. of two stems with leaves and flowers. Fig. 1 is a section 
of the flower; 2, the four parallely-compressed pollen-masses; 3, two of 
the pollen-masses separated from the cell. 
Plate 238. D. Farmeri, var. awreoflavum. Fig. 1, plant greatly 
reduced; 2, raceme of flowers, natural size; 3, the column enlarged ; 
4, the pollen-masses, natural size. 
CALANTHES 
Natural Order ORcHIDEH. Genus Calanthe 
CALANTHE (Greek, kalos, beautiful, anthos, flower). A genus of about 
forty species of handsome stove Orchids of terrestrial habit. The stems 
are reduced to pseudo-bulbs, and the leaves are broad and many-ribbed, 
usually evergreen. The flowers, which are produced in long, showy 
spikes, are distinguished by the production of the lip into a kind of spur, 
and its attachment to the column. The anther is two-celled, and contains 
eight distinct pollen-masses tapering into points, the sticky secretion 
which connects them afterwards hardening into a disk-like gland adjoin- 
ing the beak. The species are chiefly from the Indo-Malayan Region, 
but extend also to the South Pacific Islands and to Tropical and South 
East Africa, whilst a few species occur in Central America and the West 
Indies. 
The first Calanthes introduced appear to have been 
C. veratrifolia from India in 1819, and C. sylvestris from 
Madagascar in 1823. C. fwrcata came from the Luzon Isles in 1836, 
C. striata (better known as C. Sieboldii) from Japan in 1837, C. Masuca 
from India in 1838. C. Dominii is a hybrid produced by crossing 
C. Masuca and C. veratrifolia. C. Veitchit is the result of a cross 
between C. vestita and C. rosea. 
ALANTHE FURCATA (forked). Flowers creamy-white, 
abundant, in erect spikes 3 feet long. 
C. Masuca (native name). Flowers deep violet with a more intense 
violet-purple lip; spikes 2 feet long; June to August. The var. grandi- 
flora produces much larger flowers in spikes 3 or 5 feet high. 
History. 
Principal Species. 
