420 



ouchid-groweh's manual. 



HELCIA, Lindley. 



{Tribe Vandeac, mhtrihe Oncidieae.) 

 A j)retty dwarf-growing Orchid, the sole representative of a genus, 

 which some of our great authorities merge in TricUoyilia. It is a 

 l^seudobullDous epiphyte, with solitary coriaceous leaves, and peduncles 

 springing from the Ijase of the bulbs. It differs from IVichopilia 

 amongst other things in its column standing erect and clear of the lip, 

 instead of being rolled up in the latter ; it has, moreover, a deep fringed 

 border to the anther bed, and the lip is contracted near the middle, and 

 below that furnished with a pair of thick fleshy erect lobes, hollowed out 

 in the middle, standing up on each side of the column without touching 

 it. It is from Tropical America. 



Culture. — This is a small compact-growing evergreen plant, and 

 succeeds well in the cool house. It is best grown in a pot with peat, . 

 moss, and good drainage, keeping it moist in the growing season. 



H. SANGUINOLENTA, Llndl.—A. very pretty dwarf tufted plant, with 

 somewhat the habit of a Tr'u-hopilia. It has ovate elongate ptseudobulbs, nndvilatcd 



HELCI.i SANGUINOLENTA. 



leathery petiolate leaves 4 to 6 inches long, and ninnei-ons radical decurved 

 scapes, each bearing a rather showy flower 2^ inclies across; the sepals and 

 petals are narrow oblong, j-ellowish olive-colour marked with transverse bands of 

 brownish-crimson, or, according to the figure in IJlUi'stmiion Sorticolc, with 



