SCHOMBUKGKIA. 261 



robust in habit than most others. It blooms in May and 

 June, producing in great abundance long spikes of flowers, 

 which are waxy white, beautifully spotted with pink. These 

 continue in perfection three or four weeks. It is a useful 

 plant, and one which comes into bloom rather earlier than 

 any of the other kiuds. Native of Java. 



S. violaeeum.— This magnificent species is a native of 

 Manilla, where it luxuriates on the stems and branches of 

 trees. The leaves are a foot or more long, two inches in 

 breadth, and rich deep green, somewhat striated with lines of 

 a deeper colour, and from the leaf-axils it produces spikes of 

 bloom, twelve to fifteen inches in length ; the flowers are very 

 numerous, the sepals and petals pure white, spotted with 

 mauve, the lip dark mauve, marked with deeper coloured 

 lines. It generally blooms in January and February, and 

 lasts four or five weeks in perfection if kept from the damp. 

 The plant succeeds in a pot weU drained and surfaced vsith 

 a little growing sphagnum moss. 



SCHOMBURGKIA. 



Of this genus only a few are worth cultivating where space 

 is at all limited, though the blossoms of many are individually 

 very attractive ; the fact is, they are too shy in flpwering, and 

 they, as a rule, produce long spikes with but very few blossoms 

 on them. In growth they resemble Cattleyas or Lcdias, except 

 that they are less compact. The pseudobulbs ai-e erect, 

 twelve inches or more in length, with generally from one to 

 three leaves on the top ; and their flower spikes proceed from 

 the top of the bulbs, and are from three to five feet long. 

 They succeed on blocks or in baskets suspended from the 

 roof, in moss or peat mixed together, in the Cattleya house, 

 or they may be grown in pots equally well if that system 

 is preferred. A hberal supply of water is necessary during 



