THE ORCHID REVIEW. 261 
CATTLEYA DECKERI. 
A RECENT circumstance calls attention to this somewhat doubtful Cattleya, 
and I hope enables its history to be cleared up. In the last number of the 
Dictionnaire Iconographique des Orchidées two pretty Cattleyas are figured 
and described, under the names of Cattleya Patini, Cogn. (t. 25), and C. 
P. alba, Cogn. (t. 254). The species is based upon Lelia Patini, Hort., and 
its history is thus recorded :—‘“ This species is originally from the Colom- 
bian province of Antioquia, where it was discovered by M. Patin, Consul 
General for Belgium at Medellin, who sent it some years ago to Mr. 
Williams, Nurseryman, of Upper Holloway, London, and more recently to 
M.A. A. Peeters, of Saint-Gilles, Brussels.” The inflorescence only is 
figured, but it is recorded that ‘‘the plant in its aspect and vegetative 
organs much resembles C. Skinneri and C. Bowringiana.” The variety 
alba has pure white flowers, with a greenish yellow throat on the lip, and, 
like the type figured, flowered in the collection of M. Peeters. 
Lelia Patini is a well-known garden name for the plant—I do not know 
how it originated, but it is erroneous in any case, for the plant is not a 
Lelia. 
Cattleya Hennisiana is also the same plant. It was imported by Mr. J. 
Charlesworth, of Heaton; Bradford, through his collector, Mr. W. Hennis, 
and flowered in 1888. In the following. year a note appeared in the 
Gardeners’ Chronicle (1889, v. p. 276), to the effect that ‘‘ the new Cattleya 
Hennisiana, which has the growth of a vigorous C. Skinneri, was in bloom ; 
it exhibits great variety of colour and form. One plant had a spike of 
flowers like a richly coloured C. Skinneri, but the major part of those which 
have flowered (nearly a dozen in all) have been white with a faint blush 
tint and a lip rose-veined ; the plant is apparently a winter flowerer, and is 
well worthy of being included in collections.” Shortly afterwards, in the 
list of Garden Orchids I gave the preceding reference, adding (I. ¢., p. 620) : 
“A species closely allied to C. Skinneri and C. Bowringiana. but with 
smaller flowers; segments white, with a faint blush tint; lip entire, rosy- 
purple, with darker disc. . . . The statement ‘flowers vellow’, 
furnished by the natives, has proved erroneous.” 
In 1856 a curious Cattleya was figured in the Botanical Magazine 
(t. 4916), and the description was furnished by Dr. Lindley, who called 
it C. Skinneri var. parviflora. He remarked :— 
‘‘ When Mr. Skinner last returned from Guatemala he brought with him 
a small packet containing the flowers of three different Orchids, which he 
found growing ‘ from the same stock.’ One was Cattleya Skinneri, another 
was a dark crimson variety of Epidendrum Skinneri, the third, which was 
smaller than the first but larger than the second, he suspected to bea 
