THE ORCHID REVIEW. 71 
are usually found growing on long climbing stems, often called bush- 
ropes, and develop a mass of roots, among which not only the ants live, but 
frequently several other plants, in a kind of happy family, as is seen in a 
figure in Rodway’s work, In the Guiana Forest (reproduced in Orchid 
Review, III. p. 41). It is said that the ants are invariably found with these 
plants, which, however, may arise from the depredations of their enemies if 
the ants are not present. They are nearly allied to Stanhopeas, and should 
receive similar treatment. 
The leaves, too, are very various in structure, ranging from membranaceous 
to very fleshy, some of the former being unable to bear anything like direct 
sun-light. Some are terete and fleshy, like Vanda teres and Oncidium 
Jonesianum. Such plants hardly require shading at all. Very succulent 
and fleshy leaves also occur in Oncidium Lanceanum and its allies, and 
this is evidently a provision for tiding over the dry season. The species of 
this group are particularly liable to spot during the dull season, and require 
to be very carefully watered except when actively growing. Sometimes 
even the leaves are suppressed, and the work of assimilation is carried on by 
green colouring matter in the roots, as in the leafless Angrecums, Doritis 
tzeniale, and others. 
These various peculiarities have been gradually developed under changed 
conditions of existence, and have become constitutional. If the plants were 
not in harmony with their environment they would soon avail themselves of 
the numerous facilities offered for changing them, or would be crowded out 
by a host of competitors. And as many of them are not very plastic in con- 
stitution, it follows that the essential natural conditions under which they 
exist ina wild state must afford a guide to the cultivator as to suitable 
method of treatment, and that the failure to imitate these conditions 
sufficiently must result in failure. 
(To be concluded.) 
areal rnin 
CATTLEYA TRIANZ VARIETIES. 
Tue range of variation seen in Cattleya Triane and the difficulty of naming 
many of the different forms is well shown by a series of flowers just received. 
It will be remembered that a complete list of varieties was given at pages 
114—119 of our third volume, classified as far as possible, though owing to 
some of them being very vaguely described, and others not at all, the arrange- 
ment is not perfect. This would alone be possible if a complete series either of 
the flowers themselves or accurate drawings of them could be brought 
together. Several of the named forms are individuals rather than varieties, 
