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, Che Orchid Review \ 
C2 — VoL. XXV. Marcu, 1917. No. 291. SO 
kee SCHOMBURGKIA SUPERBIENS. | s) 
T has long been recognised that the fine old Lelia superbiens, Lindl., 
is not a typical Lelia. Warner many years ago remarked: ‘‘ There are 
no other Leelias like this in growth, but the Schomburgkias, another family 
of Orchids, are often sold for it’’ (Sel. Orch., i. t. 20). And later, Messrs. 
Veitch added: ‘‘ As a species, in its botanical aspect, Lelia superbiens 
stands on the very verge of the genus, approaching so closely the Schom- 
burgkias, of which it has now altogether the habit, that its systematic 
position would seem to be rather with them than with the Lelias” (Man. 
Orch., ii. p. 82). Two fine examples are blooming at Kew, and careful 
comparison leaves no doubt that the species belongs to Schomburgkia, the 
fusiform, two-leaved pseudobulbs, the long scapes with numerous elongate 
bracts, and the details of the flowers, with the numerous undulate keels on 
the disc of the lip, being all in agreement. The species was originally 
discovered in Guatemala by Mr. G. Ure Skinner, being first seen in 1839, 
planted in front of some Indian settlements, but a year later was found wild 
some twenty leagues north of the city of Guatemala. Here it exists in 
enormous quantities, the finest specimens growing out of the rocks, where it 
is sheltered from the north wind, some of the spikes being twelve feet long 
and bearing upwards of twenty light purple flowers. Owing to this 
character it has been called the Wand of St. Joseph. It was introduced in 
1842 by Hartweg, who sent plants to the Horticultural Society of London, 
and flowered for the first time in cultivation in this country in February, 
1844, in the collection of Mrs. Wray, of Oakfield, near Cheltenham. It is 
a noble species, but a little too large for many ordinary houses. 
OTHER SCHOMBURGKIAS. 
There are some nine other species of Schomburgkia having fusiform, 
two-leaved pseudobulbs, long unbranched scapes, with elongated bracts 
and the flowers aggregated near the apex in somewhat elongated heads, and 
rather narrow segments with numerous keels on the disc of the rather 
small lip. These are the original S. crispa, Lindl., and S. marginata, 
Lindl., from British Guiana; S. rosea; Lindl., and S. Lueddemannii, Prill., 
from Venezuela; S. undulata, Lindl., S. Wallisii, Rchb. f., and S. 
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