712 ORCHID-GROWEIl'S MANUAL. 



Culture. — Either the Mexican or Cool house will suit these plants, 

 which thrive best in pots of large size potted in rough fibrous peat, 

 in which they grow best, and which should overlie about 3 inches of 

 drainage. An abundant supply of water at the roots in the growing 

 season is essential to their well-being, but afterwards much less will 

 suffice. The stems grow up in thick tufts, and when the plants get 

 too large, they should be turned out of the pot, and divided into several 

 pieces, each of which will soon grow and make a flowering plant. The 

 genus is far too much neglected by Orchid growers. 



S. LEUCOXANTHA, BM.f. — A handsome species, allied to 8. macrophylla, 

 but dwarfish in habit, the stems being a foot or more in height, and the plicate 

 leaves cuneate oblong elongately acuminate, with the nervose sheaths marked 

 by black warts. The bracts of the spathe are acute congested, scariose spotted 

 with brown, and from between them issue the flowers, which arc as lai-ge as 

 those of S. Fendiana, the oblong ligulate apiculate recurved sepals white, 

 the somewhat shorter and broader petals also white, and ttc lip white outside, 

 deep golden yellow flushed with orange in the throat and disk, passing off to 

 white at the edge, oblong flabellate, convolute at the base round the thick 

 clavate column, which is half its length, the expanded front portion bilobed 

 and crenulate in front. Flowers in late summer. — Oosta Rica. 



Yia.—Oi-ohid Album, v'l. t. 271 ; Bot. Mag., t. 7058 ; Journ. of Uort., 1888, xvii. 

 p. 93, f. 10 ; Id., 1893, xvii. p. 95, f. 15. 



S. LILIASTRUM, Lindl. — A distinct and handsome species, with stems 

 8 to 10 feet high, furnished with lanceolate very acute striated leaves with a 

 vaginate base, and terminal distichous many-flowered racemes with spathaceous 

 bracts, the flowers large, pendulous, white with yellow veins, produced in July 

 and August ; they, however, last but a short time in beauty. There are two 

 varieties of this plant, one much better than the other. Dr. Liudley refers 

 also to a bright rose-coloured form, the lip having white veins, which is that 

 figured in the Sertum. — British Ouiana; Bahia. 



Fig. — Sertum Orch., t. 29. 

 Syn. — Epidendrum LiUastru-m. 



S. LOWII, Molfe. — ^A new and very distinct dwarf-growing species, recently 

 introduced by Messrs. Low & Co., after whom it is named. The stems are 

 from 1 to 11 foot high, leaves narrowly lanceolate, acuminate ; sepals and petals 

 about 2 inches long ; lip somewhat shorter than sepals, the whole' of a deep 

 purple colour. It appears to be very free-flowering, but the flowers last a very 

 short time. Flowers in autumn. — Cauca, New Grenada. 



S. LUCASIANA, Sort.— This beautiful plant was exhibited by C. T. Lucas, 

 Esq., of Warnham Court, Horsham, before the Boyal Horticultural Society 

 on June 21st, 1892, when it was much admired, and a first-class certificate 

 awarded. The flowers are similar in shape and size to those of ,S'. aantho- 



