64 ORCHIDS 



Bifrenaria. 

 B. Charlesworthii (Ro/Jc). — Flowers yellow, with a few 

 reddish-brown spots on the lip, about fin. long ; scape 6in. 

 long, hearing about six fiowers. Leaves about 9in. long. 

 Pseudo-lmlbs quadrangular, i !,-in. long. Brazil, 1S94. This is 

 allied to B. raieiiiosa. 



B. Harrisoniae {Rchh.f.). — Flowers 3in. across; sepals and petals 

 creamy-white, large and fleshy, the lateral ones with a spur-like 

 base ; lip i)urple, yellowish at the base, veined purple outside, 

 the inner surface streaked with red ; scape, one- or two-flowered. 

 Ijrazil. Syns. Colax Ucin-isoniif, Dendrnblnin Harrisonia, 

 I.xcaste Harrisoiiicc, and Jlaxi/Zaria Harrisoniic. (B. j\F, t. 2927.) 



B. inodora {Liiufl.). — Flowers about 3in. across; sepals pale 

 green, oblong, obtuse ; petals brighter, but smaller ; lip white, 

 yellow, or dull rose, three-lobed, the middle lobe hairy and 

 reflexed, the side ones erect. Rio de Janeiro, 1839. Syn. 

 B. auraiiiiatn. (R. X. O. i., t. 94, f. i.) 



BLETIA. 



Under the above name, bestowed upon it by Ruiz and 

 Pavon, i.s found a large genus of terrestrial or epiphytal 

 Orchids, several species of which are highh- ornamental, 

 and especially valuable because of the abundance and 

 bright colours of their flowers. They are of the tribe 

 EpidendrCiC, and are related to Pliaius ; they are natives 

 of tropical America, China, and Japan. The plants are 

 characterised by having round or flattened pseudo-bulbs, 

 clustered on a creeping rhizome, and bearing from the top 

 several long, narrow, plaited leaves, which fall off in 

 autumm. The name Blctia (after Don Louis Blet, a 

 Spanish botanist) has also been given to a .section of what 

 is now known as Lalia — as, for instance, Bletia Perrinii. 

 now called Lcelia Perrinii. 



Culture. — Bletias are not difficult to cultivate ; they 

 require liberal treatment when growing, and after that a 

 long season of rest. The most suitable compost for them 

 is a mixture of fibrous yellow loam and decayed leaf-soil, 

 with a little silver-sand. The kinds described below being 

 truly terrestrial, the pseudo-bulbs should be buried ju-S^t 

 beneath the surface of the soil ; about 2in. of drainage 

 is sufficient. These plants may be grown in the cool- 

 house or in a heated frame. For wcll-establi.shed specimens 



