OKCHIDS. 



229 



C. mestita mprea, — Creamy-white, with bronze eye. 



C. vestita gigantea. — Creamy-white, with fiery-red 

 eye. 



C vestita lutea. — Creamy- white, with lemon- 

 coloured eye. 



C. vestita nivalis. — Pure white throughout. 



C. vestita rubra. — Creamy-white, with deep crim- 

 son eye. 



C. vestita Turnerii. — Creamy- white, with pink eye. 



C. Veitchii. — This is the result of a cross be- 

 tween Limatodes rosea and Calanthe vestita, and is a 

 truly beautiful plant. The pseudo-bulbs are flask- 

 shaped, with a very long neck, and bear large mem- 

 branous leaves ; the spike attains the height of one to 

 three feet, bearing a profusion of its lovely rich rose- 

 coloured flowers. It blooms all through the winter 

 months. Garden hybrid. 



G. Williamsi, white and rosy-pink, lip deep rosy- 

 crimson, with darker eye. Cochin China. 



Catasetum. — An extensive family, producing 

 extremely curious flowers, but on account of the 

 •colours being of a somewhat sombre hue, they are 

 not very popular with the present race of Orchid- 

 growers ; some few kinds nevertheless are sufficiently 

 shfiwy to deserve a place in the moft reeherchS col- 

 lections. 



The plants included in this genus were formerly 

 divided into three genera — viz., Catasetum, Myamthus, 

 and Monacanthus ; but as upon several occasions the 

 three forms have been produced upon one spike, the 

 two last-named have not been retained; the forms 

 of the various sections, however, varj' rather con- 

 siderably. 



As a genus Catasetum is distinguished by its thick 

 fleshy pseudo-bulbs, which bear large membranous 

 plaited leaves ; the flowers are produced in long 

 racemes, which are sometimes erect, but more fre- 

 quently drooping; these racemes spring from the 

 base of the pseudo-bulbs, which are deciduous. 



The flowers of the true Catasetum are thick and 

 fleshy in texture, the sepals and petals often become 

 hooded, whilst the lip is continuous with the column, 

 and often cucullate ; the column is pointed at the 

 apex, and bears near the middle a pair of oirrhi ; in 

 Monacanthus the column is destitute of these cirrhi ; 

 in Xyanthus the cirrhi are produced at the base of 

 the column, and the lip is oftentimes flat and lobed. 

 In each section the pollen masses are thrown forward 

 with great force to a considerable distance, and being 

 glutinous they adhere very firmly to any object on 

 which they alight. Sir E. Schomburgh, who first 

 discovered the three forms upon one spike, was of 

 opinion that Myamthus was the male flower, and 

 Catasetum the female, as the latter only produced 

 any seeds, and he has been borne out in this sup- 



position by the observations and experiments of the 

 late Ml'. Darwin. 



Catasetums are naturally terrestrial plants, and 

 should be potted in rough fibrous peat ; during the 

 growing season they enjoy a liberal supply of water, 

 but require a thorough period gf rest. 



C. atratum. — Pseudo-bulbs three to five inches 

 high, leaves somewhat lanceolate, narrowest at base, 

 membranous and dark green; the scape rises from 

 the base of the young pseudo-bulbs, and the flowers 

 open about the time that the growth has attained 

 maturity ; flowers large and numerous, dark green, 

 profusely blotched with purplish-brown ; lip beauti- 

 fully fiinged, and spotted with brown at the base, 

 passing into yellowish - green. May and June. 

 Brazil. 



C. Bungerothi. — This is quite a new discovery, and 

 the grandest of all the known species ; the flowers 

 are borne upon nodding racemes, and are very large, 

 pure ivory-white, with an orange-coloured cavity in 

 the Kp. Ecuador. 



C, cernuum. — Similar in many respects to C. atra- 

 tum ; but its flowers are larger and brighter ; sepal? 

 and petals bright dark green, profusely spotted with 

 purple ; lip yellowish-green, bearing numerous spots 

 of red and black; the apex orange. Spring and 

 early summer. Brazil. 



C Jimbriattim. ■ — In this species the sepals and 

 petals are reddish pink, and slightly spotted with 

 red; lip broadly heart-shaped, creamy-white, and 

 beautifully fringed at the edge. Summer months. 

 Brazil. 



G. ineurvum. — This is not only one of the largest, 

 but one of the most extraordinary forms in the genus. 

 In describing this plant, the late Dr. Lindley says : 

 " The flowers are dull green, streaked and stained 

 with purple ; the great blossoms resemble nothing 

 so much as some portentous Arachnid, seizing upon 

 the shaggy ear of an unhappy animal, and turning 

 it inside out in the struggle to grasp it, till a pair 

 of horns with which the'Arachnid seems furnished 

 could be plunged into the ear, in order to hold it 

 fast." June and July. Guatemala. 



C. longifolium. — As its name implies, this species 

 produces very long and linear strap-shaped leaves ; 

 the flowers are handsome, the colour of the sepals 

 and petals being deep crimson ; the lip somewhat 

 darker, tinged with violet at tip, and profusely 

 dotted with yellow. Summer months. It is found 

 growing upon river-banks and low grounds in De- 

 merara. 



Cattleya. — Named in honour of Mr. William 

 Cattley, the happy possessor of the first species that 

 flowered in this country, who had a fine collection 

 of these plants in his garden at Barnet ; and it 



