ORCHIDS. 



183 



even more ; sepals and petals rich yellow, with a 

 few brown spots or blotches ; lip pale yellow. This 

 variety usually flowers twice in the season — in spring 

 and again during the autumn months. Demerara. 



£. Zawreticeana. — ^This species differs from £. 

 lanceana in being destitute of the toothed plates on 

 the lip. The flowers are bright yellow, with cin- 

 namon-brown spots, and sweet-scented. Autumn 

 months. Brazil. 



B. Laicrenceana, var. longissima. — A grand variety, 

 and perhaps one of the very best of the genus ; 

 spikes some two feet in length, many-flowered ; the 

 sepals and petals rich deep yellow, marked towards 

 the base with a few reddish-purple blotches; the 

 sepals lengthened into tail-like appendages some 

 seven inches or more long ; lip ovate - lanceolate, 

 some three inches long, soft pale yellow, spotted 

 with purple towards the base, which is furnished with 

 two slightly hairy ridges. September. Costa Kca. 



B. maeulata. — Flowers large, pale yellow, with a 

 white lip, which is spotted with purple. Spring and 

 early summer. Jamaica. 



B. verraeoaa, var. grandiflora. — ^A form much larger 

 than the type ; it produces a many-flowered scape ; 

 sepals and petals greenish-white, spotted and blotched 

 with blackish-pnxple ; lip white, bearing numerous 

 green warty protuberances. Spring and early sum- 

 mer. Guatemala. 



Brooglitonia. — ^A genus nearly allied to Lalia 

 and Cattleya. It is thus characterised: — Colmnn 

 distinct, or at the very base united with the ungui- 

 cnlate lip, which is lengthened at the base into a 

 tube, coimate with the ovary ; pollen masses, four, 

 parallel, with a granular caudicle reflexed upon the 

 masses. It has not yielded kindly to the persuasive 

 powers of the cultivator up to the present time, 

 perhaps on account of its treatment ; it naturally 

 grows fully exposed to the sun and open to all the 

 winds that blow. Therefore the Mexican division 

 should suit it best. 



B. sanguinea. — ^The only species, that appears to be 

 almost peculiar to the islands of Cuba and Jamaica, 

 and should be grown upon a block, with a little 

 sphagnum moss. Although somewhat difScult to 

 grow, the colour is rare and attractive, and amply 

 repays for any extra attention. Pseudo-bulbs some- 

 what compressed, dark green, bearing a pair of 

 oblong-acuminate coriaceous leaves of the same 

 colour ; peduncle terminal, about a foot high, ten to 

 twenty-flowered ; flowers of a uniform deep crimson, 

 slightly tinged with yellow at the base of the Up. 

 June and July. Jamaica and Cuba. 



Burlingtonia. — ^A genus of epiphytal plants 

 with small pseudo-bulbs and oblong, coriaceous 



leaves. Named in honour of the Countess of Bur- 

 lington. They are nearly allied to Sodriguezia, but 

 have some marked points of distinction, such as a 

 very large and deeply two-lobed lip, the sepals and 

 petals being furnished with a claw-like appendage, 

 and in its convolute flowers, as well as natural 

 habit. Burlingtonias are all natives of the warm 

 parts of Brazil, and thrive best upon blocks of wood, 

 or in wooden baskets ; very little sphagnum should 

 be used about them, as the thin wiry white roots do 

 not appear to like confinement. Cork is frequently 

 used to fasten these plants upon, but our experience 

 is not favourable to the use of cork for this purpose, 

 the plants never remaining long in a healthy state 

 on this mateiial. 



These plants enjoy an abundant supply of water 

 and a moist atmosphere during the growing season, 

 and, although less will be necessary when they are 

 at rest, water must never be entirely withheld, or 

 the plants will soon shrivel. When this occurs it 

 is frequently very difficult to restore the plant to its 

 former vigour. 



The white scale is a great enemy to Burlingtonias, 

 and must be sharply looked after whenever the 

 plants are taken down to be watered, the sheathing 

 base of the leaves previding a safe retreat for this 

 pest from the eye of the careless cultivator. Bra- 

 zilian House. 



B. Candida. — Pseudo-bulbs small, bearing two to 

 three oblong - obtuse, coriaceous, dark green leaves ; 

 spike pendulous, dense ; flowers large, entirely white, 

 Uke frosted snow, saving the upper part of the lip, 

 which is citron-yellow; sepals and petals obtuse; 

 lip hastate, and furnished with two rows of fleshy 

 ridges. The flowers are deliciously sweet, appearing 

 frequently twice in a year — ^in April and May, and 

 again towards autumn. Demerara. 



B. decora. — ^This beautiful species is very ramb- 

 ling in habit ; it forms long slender stems, from 

 which at intervals are produced small oval pseudo- 

 bulbs, bearing a single lanceolate leaf, which is deep 

 green ; the base of the pseudo-bulb is partiallj' 

 enveloped in a small sheathing leaf; spike erect, 

 bearing five to ten flowers, converging, and forming 

 a hood, soft rose-colour, spotted with red ; lip large 

 and spreading, deeply two-lobed, and pure white; 

 spur short. It blooms at various seasons of the year, 

 but usually in winter. Brazil. 



B. decora, var. picta. — ^A beautiful variation from 

 the normal form ; indeed, the species appears to be 

 very variable. In this plant the leaves are shorter 

 and more acute; the flowers are also produced in 

 greater numbers, and are deep rosy-red, spotted' and 

 blotched with deep purple. September and October. 

 Brazil. 



B. fragram. — ^A compact plant, with sme .U pseudo- 



