42 THE ORCHID REVIEW. [JANUARY, 1915. 
|| ORCHIDS IN SOUTH MEXICO, 
[The following article, entitled ‘‘ Notes on some Orchids grown in 
‘Southern Mexico,” received from an old and esteemed correspondent, will 
doubtless be read with interest, as it deals with the same species as those 
grown under very different conditions under our northern skies. Previous 
articles by Mr. Harvey will be found in vols. xi. pp. 354-358; xill. pp. 250- 
251; and xiv. pp. 6-7.—Eb.] 
@~™ENDROBIUM TAURINUM.—Three plants were received by me 
some six or seven years ago, with some other Orchids, from a friend 
in the Philippines, and were still attached to the pieces of limbs upon 
which they had been growing im situ, so I merely hung them up in 
moderate shade, but for some three or four years they languished—made 
few roots and weak, sappy growths, which, on the advent of the early summer 
rains, fell victims to the attacks of minute black beetles. Discouraged, I 
then hung them out in the blazing sun—go® F. in the shade—in company 
with Diacrium bicornutum. Mirabile dictu, they soon commenced to throw 
-out new yellow shining roots, pretty well all over their blocks, started new 
leads from the imperfect ones, and finished off in December with nice 
plump little pseudobulbs, about eight inches high, with foliage bright 
shining green, nearly as hard as horn, increasing each year in size until 
last year, when the largest had reached thirty inches, and came into 
flower, producing a beautiful terminal arching flower-stem with ten flowers, 
typical as to shape, but quite different in colour. This species was 
-originally described by Lindley, in 1843, as having the sepals yellowish 
green, rolled back at the points, very long deep purple twisted petals, and a 
paler purple lip. My plant, however, agreeing in everything but colour, 
has snowy white and amethyst purple coloration, no yellow or trace of 
green in the flowers, and is, I am bound to say, one of the most beautiful 
Dendrobes I possess. Subsequent authorities give similar descriptions to 
Lindley, but I fail to find any reference to this variety. I am now curious 
to see what the remaining two plants will produce. 
DIACRIUM BICORNUTUM.—About a dozen plants were received some 
years ago direct from Trinidad, in exchange for Mexican Orchids, and were 
tried in small cedar-wood baskets, with pieces of charcoal, and were hung 
under the light shade of Cassia javanica. They did fairly well the first 
season, but gradually declined during the passage of the years, and all 
collapsed but two small pieces. Some few years ago I found out that they 
had been collected near the sea shore, growing in rocks exposed to the 
torrid sun. I promptly took these pieces from the baskets, cut away all 
