LAELIA. 443 



L. PORPHYRITES, Bchh. /.—A supposed natural hybrid between L. Dorma- 

 niana and L. piimila. It flowered in 1886 with the late J. Day, Esq., of Totten- 

 ham. It belongs to the L. Dayana and L. prciestans section. The pseudobulbs 

 are, however, longer, and the leaves larger and broader; the flowers are 

 somewhat smaller than L. praestans, and the sepals and petals narrower ; the 

 lip is different in shape, and the throat is more open ; the anterior portion is 

 rich purplish-crimson, and the sepals and petals are lilac-mauve. Flowers in 

 November. — Brazit. 



Flo.—BL'nif Hurt. Beige, 1888, p. 37 (plate). 



L. PRAESTANS, Rchh.f. — A splendid dwarf evergreen species, which grows 

 6 inches high, and often blossoms twice in a year. It has short fusiform stems 

 (pseudobulbs), solitary oblong leaves, and short one-flowered peduncles ; the 

 flowers are large, 3^ inches across ; the sepals oblong, the petals ovate, both 

 of a brilliant dark rose ; the lip of a deep rich purple in front and around the 

 margin, the disk and throat yellow, and the exterior of the side lobes where 

 they are rolled over the column deep rose. This plant resembles Cattleya 

 miarginata in growth and in the size of its flowers. There are several varieties, 

 some of which are much better than others. It grows best on a block with a 

 good supply of water at the roots in the growing season. The cool house is 

 best suited for its successful growth. — Brazil. 



Tig.— Xi'iiia OrcJi., ii. t. 114 ; L'lll. Hort., t. 193— f. Bchb. ; Flore des Senrs, 

 t. 1900 ; Sot. Mag., t. 5498 ; Bafem. S'^eond Cent. Orch. PL. t. 128 ; I}.evue Hort. Beige, 

 1883, p. 277 (plate) ; Reiclieniacltia, 2nd ser., i. t. 6 ; Orchid Album, x. t. 433. 



Stn. — Cattleya pumila major — f. Kchb. 



L. PRAESTANS ALBA, Sort. Bull— A lovely chaste form, in which the 

 sepals and petals are of the purest snow-white, as also are the convolute side- 

 lobes of the lip on the exterior, the front of the lip being rich purple, with a 

 yellow disk. Flowers in the autumn months. — Brar.il. 



L. PUMILA. — See Cattleya pumila. 



L. PUMILA DAYANA —See L. Dayana. 



L. PUMILA MAJOR. — See Cattleya makgixata. 



L. PURPURATA, Lindl. — A magnificent species, often designated the King 

 of Orchids, a title which it richly merits, as a nobler Orchid producing such 

 large rich-coloured flowers does not exist. It grows some 2 feet high or more, 

 and has fusiform furrowed stems, oblong emarginate light green leaves, and a 

 peduncle bearing from three to five flowers, which are very large and showy. 

 There are many varieties of it, all of which ai-e well worth growing, though 

 some are much finer than others. The recurvo-patent linear-oblong sepals and 

 the larger oblong undulated petals are pure white, while the lip has the basal 

 lobes folded over the column, whitish streaked with rose, the throat yellow, 

 striped distinctly with crimson, and the broad front lobe expanded, of a rich 

 dark crimson-purple, paler towards the tip, and marked by feathered crimson 

 veins. In the form called praetexta by Eeichenbach, the tip of the lip is white. 

 In some of the varieties the flowers are of a light rose colour. It blooms during 



