90 



OASSELL'S POPULAR GARDENING. 



Angrseoum. — This is a large family of epiphytes, 

 but many of the species produce such small flowers 

 that, judgiag them from a decorative point of view, 

 they are not worth the trouble and expense entailed 

 in their cultivation, whilst others produce larger 

 flowers than any family in the order. 



Angrsecums have their leaves arranged in a two- 

 ranked (distichous) manner, and are quite destitute 

 of pseudo-bulbs to 

 support them, so 

 that it is necessary 

 to exercise care in 

 carrying them 



through the resting 

 season ; for if not 

 subjected to a 

 period of rest, very 

 few flowers wiU be 

 produced, whilst if 

 it is carried to ex- 

 cess the leaves will 

 shrivel and fall off, 

 thus rendering the 

 plants naked and 

 unsightly. 



These plants are 

 all natives of vari- 

 ous parts of Africa 

 or the African 

 Islands, and are aU 

 found in the hottest 

 latitudes, saving 

 one or two excep- 

 tions, such as A. 

 falcatunif from 

 China and ,Tapah, 

 and A. fimale, from 

 the "West Indies. 

 The latter is a 

 very curious and 

 interesting plant, 

 being both stem- \ 



less and leafless, the entire organism consisting of a 

 mass of cord-like roots, from the centre of which 

 it produces flowers. They all enjoy sun, air, and 

 light to the fullest extent. The larger kinds succeed 

 best under pot culture; the smaller ones thrive 

 better in hanging baskets or on blocks of wood ; 

 indeed, the requirements of Angrjecums are about 

 the same as already laid down for the culture of 

 -SMdes. East Indian House for all the species except 



ditions. The leaves are distichous, leathery in tex- 

 ture, six to eight inches long, and upwards of an inch 

 broad ; unequally two-lobed at the apex, and deep 

 green; racemes axillary, about the same length as 

 the leaves ; flowers white, and bearing a very long 

 yellowish-green spur. May and June. Gaboon 

 and Nun rivers. Western Africa. 

 A. citratum. — ^An elegant small-growing plant. The 



are from 



three to six inches 

 long, oblong lanceo- 

 late, with an acute 

 j)oint and con- 

 tracted base, bright 

 shining green on 

 the upper side, paler 

 beneath ; raceme 

 from six to twelve 

 inches long, many- 

 flowered ; flowers 

 closely set, nearly 

 an inch across, 

 white, snfiused with 

 pale citron -colour; 

 spur short, pale 

 yellow. Spring 

 months. 



i'lOWEE OF A. viKENS (natural me). 



car. 



A. 

 A large bold-grow- 

 ing species, which, 

 under the name of 

 A. superbum, the 

 late Mr. EBia de- 

 scribes as so abun- 

 dant on the out- 

 skirts of the forests 

 on his journey from 

 Tamatave to Anta- 

 nanarivo, the capi- 

 tal of Madagascar ; 

 plant erect; leaves 

 distichous, from one to two feet in length, some- 

 times more ; bright light green in colour ; spike erect, 

 as long or longer than the leaves ; flowers about two 

 inches in diameter; sepals and petals light green ; lip 

 large, ivory-white, tinged with green at the base. 

 January to March. Madagascar. 



A. eburneum, var. virens. — A plant similar in habit, 

 but somewhat less robust than the species, from 

 which it is easily distinguished by its intense deep 



Afaloatum, and this thrives best in the Peruvian green leaves; sepals and^petals green, as also is the 

 House. 



A. Ohaillmnmn.— TUa handsome and distinct 



species is named in honour of M. du Chaillu, who A. ^Hm.-This species was introduced by the 



found it when on one of his celebrated gorilla expe- late Rev. W. ElUs, to whom we are indebted for so 



spur; lip white, tinged with green. January to 

 March. Madagascar. 



