AXD THEIR MANAGEMEXr. loi 



Cattle ya. 



A form with short stems and deep-coloured flowers is known 

 as Backhouse's variety. 



C. Mendellii {Backh.). — A magnificent Cattleya of the 

 C. labiata section, and often referred to as but a variety of that 

 species. The pseudo-bulbs are short, stout, and furrowed, and 

 the leaf is oblong and leathery. The flowers are very large ; 

 the sepals and petals are white, or pale satiny pink, becoming, 

 in most varieties, almost pure white soon after opening ; the 

 folding parts of the lip are the same colour as the petals, the 

 spreading portion being very large, the margin crisped and wavy, 

 and the colour rich crimson-purple, with a distinctly- defined 

 blotch of yellow in the throat. This is one of the most popular 

 of Cattleyas, and although varying a great deal, not one of its 

 numerous varieties could be called poor. It is easily cultivated, 

 thriving if treated as advised for the bulk of Cattleyas, and 

 flowering annually fiom April to June. There are many named 

 varieties of it, the best of which are described below. It was 

 introduced in 1870, and large quantities of it are now imported 

 annually from Colombia. (Fig. 30 ; W. O. A., i., t. 3.) 



Var. Bhmiii. — YXowtK pure white, save for a small yellow 

 blotch on the lip. 



Var. Leeana. — Flowers deep-coloured, the petals blotched with 

 amethyst-purple. 



Var. Morgance. — Flowers white, with a small purple blotch on 

 the lip, which is veined with red. 



C. Mossiae (Hook.). — This grand old species should be repre- 

 sented in every collection of Orchids. The pseudo-bulbs are 

 stout, variable in length, broadest in the middle, and furrowed ; 

 they bear a single, coriaceous, dark, shining green leaf. The 

 scape bears from three to five flowers, measuring 6in. or Sin. 

 in diameter ; and even larger examples are on record. Although 

 the flowers vary much, the sepals and petals are usually of some 

 shade of blush or deep rose, the latter being sometimes as much 

 as 3in. in breadth. The labellum is of the same colour, in most 

 instances beautifully fringed or crimped round the edge ; it is 

 large and spreading, the front portion being suffused with rich 

 violet, purple-veined, bordered with lilac, and, in addition, 

 stained with orange at the base ; the folding portion is veined 

 with purple on the inside. By this marking of the lip this 

 species is very easily distinguished from C. labiafa, of which it is 

 by some considered a variety. We have seen examples of this 

 species with forty blooms expanded at one time, presenting a 

 truly magnificent appearance. The flowers are produced from 

 April to August, and will remain three or four weeks in full 



