ORCHIDS. 



133 



sepals very broad, thick and waxy, yello-wisli--wliite, 

 spotted and dotted with red ; petals muoli narrower, 

 blotched and spotted with chocolate. Lip white, 

 dotted all over with red, and stained at the base with 

 a large blotch of reddish-brown. Early autumn 

 mouths. Mexico. 



iS. oculata.— This species derives its name from 

 the peculiar eye-like spots on the side of the 

 hj'pochil, which are sometimes represented by one 

 pair, at others two pairs. Racemes bearing nume- 

 rous large flowers. Sepals pale yellow, profusely 

 spotted with lilac or purple ; petals much narrower, 

 sparingly marked with a few large spots. Flowers 

 very aromatic, with a smooth and shining surface. 

 Autumn months. Mexico. 



S. ornatissima. — Raceme three to five-flowered. 

 Flowers large and fragrant. Sepals and petals 

 very deep orange, spotted all over with dull red, and 

 stained at the base with a large blotch of reddish- 

 pm-ple. Lip white, dotted all over with rose, and 

 bearing on the hypochil a pair of eye-Uke purplish 

 spots. Autumn months. Mexico. 



S. saccata. — Raceme three to five-flowered. Dorsal 

 sepals and petals white, tinged with straw-colour, 

 dotted all over with pink lateral sepals white, tinged 

 with straw-colour, and, like the petals, stained to- 

 wards the base with tawny-orange. The lip pale 

 yellow, dotted with pink, the hypochil tawny-orange. 

 Autunm months. Mexico. Syn. S. radiosa. 



S. tigrina. — This species produces the largest 

 flowers in the whole genus, often measuring eight 

 inches across. Sepals and petals very thick and 

 waxy, the ground-colour a rich yellow, irregularly 

 blotched and striped with rich brown. Lip tawny- 

 yellow, dotted with reddish-brown. It yields a very 

 strong odour, somewhat between vanilla and melon, 

 and very aromatic. Summer months. Mexico. 



S. trieornis. — Flowers some six inches across, very 

 fragrant, ground-colour pale clear yellow ; petals and 

 lip almost deep yellow ; the hypochil bearing a pair 

 of deep orange eye-like spots, the mesochil having an 

 additional short horn-like process. Autumn months. 

 On the Mountain of Chimborazo, Peru. 



S. Wardii.— This is a very fine species, and an 

 abundant bloomer. Raceme three to six-flowered or 

 more. Ground colour deep rich golden-orange, much 

 spotted with reddish-orange. The hypochil orna- 

 mented with a large blotch of dark velvety-purple. 

 The flowers are very fragrant. Summer and early 

 autumn. Guatemala. 



Stenorhynchus.— A small class of terrestrial 

 Orchids, containing very few showy-flowered species. 

 The name is derived from its narrow column. The 

 various members of this genus are now included 

 under Spirmthes, and are natives of South America 



and the islands of the West Indies. For soil use 

 two parts of loam to one of peat, and do not elevate 

 the plant above the rim of the pot. Supply freely 

 with water until growth is mature, when very little 

 will suflSce until fresh growth commences. Brazilian 

 House. 



S. speciosm. — Leaves broadly-oblong, waved at the 

 edges, dark green. Scape erect, longer than the 

 leaves, bearing large scarlet bracts, longer than the 

 flowers. Raceme dense and many-flowered. Outer 

 portion of flower scarlet ; petals and lip white. Its 

 brilliantly coloured flowers and bracts render it very 

 conspicuous. Spring and summer months. West 

 Indian Islands. (Now Spiranthes colorwis.) 



Thunia. — A small genus of terrestrial plants, 

 now included under Fhaius. They have long terete, 

 stem-like, deciduous pseudo-bulbs, and terminal 

 clusters of flowers. Pot-culture suits them best. 

 Plant them in rough peat, sphagnum moss, and 

 well-decomposed cow-manure. During the growing 

 season these plants require an abundance of water. 

 After the flowering is over the leaves will soon begin 

 to fall, and very little water will be suflicient to 

 keep life in them until growth commences again. 

 East Indian House. 



T. alba (now Fhaius albus). — Stems erect, two to 

 three feet high, clothed with glaucous, lanceolate, 

 stem-clasping leaves. Flowers in short, dense, ter- 

 minal racemes. Sepals and petals linear-lanceolate, 

 longer than the lip, pure white. Lip white, streaked 

 with purple and lilac. Summer. Northern India. 



T. Bensonts (now Fhaius Bensoiue). — Similar in habit 

 to the preceding ; leaves sheathing at the base, about 

 ten inches long, linear-lanceolate, bright green above, 

 paler below. Flowers large, some three inches long, 

 in dense terminal racemes. Sepals and petals Hnear- 

 lanceolate, deep reddish-purple on the outside, paler 

 towards the centre. Lip three-lobed, rolled over the 

 column at the base, where it is white, spreading in 

 front, where it is rich deep purple, frilled on the 

 edge, and bearing several yeUow-orested ridges on 

 the disc. Summer. British Burmah. 



Triohocentrum.. — From thrix, "a hair," and 

 eentron, "a spur," in reference to the spur at the 

 base of the column. A small genus of dwarf tufted 

 epiphytes, only two species of which are worth 

 ■growing for their beauty. They should be grown 

 upon a block of wood, or in small earthenware 

 baskets, and kept moderately well supplied with 

 water all the season. Brazilian House. 



T. alio-purpureum. — Pseudo-bulbs ovate, bearing 

 oblong-lanceolate, coriaceous, bright green leaves. 

 Peduncle pendulous, one-flowered; flowers about 

 two inches across. Sepals and petals brown, tipped 



