AXD THE IK Jl.lXACEJ/EXT. 



271 



Lcelia. 



A'ar. Sfabartiaiia. — Ends of sepals, petals, and lip, coloured 

 bright purple. 



Var. sulpliufia. — Flowers pale sulphur-yellow. 



L. anceps {Liiidl.). — A larger-growing plant than L. albida. 

 The pseudo-bulbs are ovate and somewhat compressed. The 

 leaves are solitary, rarely in pairs, broadly lance-shaped, shining 

 green. The scape is 2ft. to 3ft. long, tialtened, jointed, and 

 bears from three to six flowers, 4in. across ; the sepals and 

 petals are nearly etjual, lance-shaped, and purplish-rose, or rosy- 

 lilac ; the lip is funnel-shaped below, with a tongue-like front 

 lobe, the colour being deep purple, shaded with rose, yellow 

 in the throat, with purple streaks. There are many varieties of 

 this species : they vary chiefiy in the intensity of colour or 

 the numbers of the flowers that are borne upon the scape, 

 but all are beautiful. L. aiiccps will thrive under block- or 

 basket-culture. It blossoms during the months of December 

 and January, at which time it is the most beautiful of all 

 Orchids. Large specimens of it are remarkably handsome, 

 producing as many as twenty scapes or more of fragrant flowers, 

 to the rich hues of which no artist can do justice. It is a 

 native of Guatemala and Mexico, and first flowered in this 

 country in 1S34. (B. j\[., t. 3804.) 



The varieties of this species are now very numerous, and it is 

 difficult to do justice to it by enumerating less than the subjoined 

 forms, which are still far from being complete. Good forms are 

 rare, and are not to be procured readily. They are grown in 

 quantity in a few collections only, owing to the fact that the 

 blooms are delicate, and that they are readil)' injured by fog and 

 dull atmospheric conditions. 



Var. alba. — Flowers absolutely pure white, save for a little lemon- 

 yellow in the tube. This form has only once been reintroduced 

 since it was shown by :\Ir. Bull in 1S78. It is usually known as 

 Bull's alba. Mr. Worthington, of Whalley Range, secured a plant 

 in ^Mexico in 1893. 



Yar. Amesiana.—'iQ^aXi and petals white at base, deepening 

 to light purple at tips ; blade of the lip deep ruby-purple ; petals 

 very broad. 



A'ar. Amesiana Crawsha\ana.^'\:\(\i is the finest form yet Certi- 

 ficated by the R. H. S., the purple of the sepals and petals being 

 very dark indeed ; the lip is a deep velvety-maroon purple. 



Var. ^j/ncw/-M/rt;/fl.— Sepals and petals pure white, of very fine 

 form ; lip having a pure white anterior lobe, marked by a few 

 small spots of slaty-blue, and having similarly coloured lines in 

 the tube. 



