90 



CASSELL'S ' POPULAR GAEDENING. 



plant, one of the Veitehian hybrids obtained from 

 seed in this country. 



G. macrantha. — This species was obtained from 

 gardens in Yeddo, and was highly prized by the 

 cultivator. It is a close, dense-growing plant, with 

 ovate-acute leaves of a rich deep olive-green, beauti- 

 fully veined and netted with light green and white. 

 It produces two to three large terminal flowers with 

 linear-acute sepals and petals, white suffused with 

 rosy-pink. In the variety luteo-marginata, the leaves 

 in addition are broadly margined with yellow. It 

 does not appear to have been found by any European 

 collector in a wild state, but is probably a native of 

 the southern islands of Japan. 



G. Ordiana. — In general habit and size this plant 

 resembles G. Dauisoniana ; indeed, many consider it 

 a variety of that p^ant ; if so, it is very distinct in 

 colour. The leaves are large, cordate-acute, ground- 

 colour the most brilliant green, over which lies a 

 network of golden veins. Malay Archipelago. (Cor- 

 rect name Mcemeria discolor Ordiana.) 



G. SoUissonii. — A robust and handsome plant, with 

 large cordate leaves, which on the under side are 

 of a deep vinous-red, upper side deep green, with 

 a velvety appearance, broadly margined and flaked 

 with creamy white. Probably from Brazil. 



G. ruiro-venia. — In this beautiful plant the leaves 

 are ovate-acute, deep bronzy-black above, with three 

 parallel stripes of reddish-crimson traversing the 

 entire length, beneath vinous-red. It is considered 

 by some to be a variety only of G. discolor. Brazil. 



G. velutina. — A dwarf-growing robust plant which 

 comes to us from the same gardens in Yeddo as 

 G. macrantha, and which, like it, has not been found 

 in a wild state. Leaves dense, rather small, ovate- 

 acute, deep vinous beneath, tinged with violet on 

 the upper side ; the ground-colour is deep purplish- 

 green, with a rich velvety appearance, midrib 

 banded with a broad stripe of pure white ; flowers 

 white, suffused with pink. Japan, probably from 

 the southern islands. 



Grammatopliyllum.— This is a small genus of 

 large and bold-growing plants. Indeed, G. speciosum 

 may be said to make the largest growth of any 

 Orchidaceous plant yet discovered. The namecomes 

 from the word grammata, signifying " letters," and 

 phyllon, " a leaf," but the peculiar markings having 

 some resemblance to letters are not on the leaf, but 

 on the sepals and petals. As a genus Grammato- 

 pliyllum is nearly allied to Cymbidium, from which it 

 differs in having a crescent-shaped gland instead of a 

 triangular one, with one pollen-mass at each point of 

 the crescent, and in having a bladder-like formation 

 at the base of the column and lip. 



These plants require plenty of pot-room, and 



should be placed in the hottest and dampest part 

 of the house. The compost to be half-and-half peat 

 and Sphagnum moss, with ample drainage, so that 

 water can be continually poured into them when 

 growing. After growth is finished water can be 

 withheld and the temperature reduced in order to 

 mature the pseudo-bulbs, without which it is useless 

 to expect flowers. East Indian House. 



G. Ellisii. — This species is of comparatively recent 

 introduction, and is the dwarfest and freest-flowering 

 kind yet introduced. For a knowledge of it we are in- 

 debted to that indefatigable explorer, the late Eev.W. 

 Ellis, who detected it growing in his favourite island 

 of Madagascar. He says, " Among the plants which I 

 brought from Madagascar was a large-bulbed plant, 

 something like Anguloa Cloivesiana, only the bulbs 

 are square instead of being round. I found it grow- 

 ing on the branch of a tree about the size of a man's 

 leg, and stretching over a river at about twenty-five 

 feet above the water." The spike comes up with the 

 young bulb, and attains a height of about two feet or 

 more, bearing a great number of flowers of such a 

 fantastic shape that no description can .adequately 

 describe them. Sepals plain yellow at the back, in 

 front transversely striped and blotched with choco- 

 late ; petals small, white ; lips mall, white, streaked 

 with rosy-purple. Autumn months. Madagascar. 

 (Correct name Grammangis Ellisii.) 



G. specinsum. — This is the species upon which the 

 genus was founded. The pseudo-bulbs are gigantic 

 stems reaching ten feet in height, and measuring up- 

 wards of seven inches in circumference. The leaves 

 are nearly two feet in length, distichous and dark 

 green. Scape arising with the young growth, stout 

 and nearly six feet high, bearing numerous immense 

 flowers, upwards of six inches in diameter; sepals 

 and petals broadly-oblong, about equal in size, and 

 spreading; yellow, plain behind, but in front 

 grotesquely and profusely spotted and lined with 

 reddish-purple and bj-own. Lip small, three-lobed, 

 the side lobes rolled over the column, middle lobe 

 ornamented with several crested red lines, disc 

 plaited. Autumn months. Java and Cochin China. 



Helcia. — This genus is nearly allied to Trie/to- 

 pilia, but is distinguished from it by its erect, terete, 

 and slightly fringed column. Only one species has 

 yet been introduced. It thrives best in a pot, with 

 half-and-half peat and moss. Peruvian House. 



S. sanguimlenta.—A. dwarf compact plant, with 

 tufted, somewhat ovate pseudo-bulbs, bearing a soli- 

 tary narrow leaf, some six inches long, waved at the 

 edges, and dark green. The peduncle bears a single 

 flower, which is upwards of two inches in diameter ; 

 sepals and petals greenish-brown, and spotted with 

 crimson; lip obovate, notched in front, white, 



