168 THE ORCHID REVIEW. 
BOTANICAL ORCHIDS AT KEW. 
A vERY pretty little Orchid seldom seen in cultivation is now flowering at 
Kew, namely Cryptochilus sanguineus, a Himalayan species with erect 
spikes of deep red flowers, and the sepals united into a tube, quite an 
unusual character in the group. Sarcochilus aureus and S. unguiculatus 
are two curious little plants, the latter remarkable in its habit of opening 
several flowers on the raceme, which last only about a day, and then remain- 
ing quiescent for some time, when a few more flowers again expand together, 
the raceme thus gradually lengthening until the flowers are exhausted. 
Promenza xanthina forms quite a picture, a dense tuft of leaves with 
numerous yellow flowers spotted with brown on the lip. A good clump of 
the pretty little Megaclinum minutum is also covered with its curiously 
flattened spikes. Then there is Luisia Cantharis, with flowers almost 
exactly resembling a beetle, the rare and pretty little Meiracyllium gemme#, 
with its purple flowers and Sophronitis-like habit, the graceful Platyclinis 
longifolia, Coelogyne Schilleriana with three flowers, and the smaller C. 
uniflora. 
Masdevallias include M. Carderi, ionocharis, erythrochete and Rolfeana, 
and Pleurothallis stenosepala is a fine specimen covered with graceful 
racemes. Among other interesting things may be mentioned the pretty 
little Eria extinctoria, Trichopilia laxa, Dendrobium Podagraria, Sacco- 
labium gemmatum, Sarcanthus hongkongensis, the pretty little Epiden- 
drum bracteatum, Habenaria rhodochila, &c. Many of these plants are 
very easily grown and take up little space, and if some of them are not 
showy they give a great additional interest to a collection of Orchids. 
LELIA PURPURATA ASHWORTHIANA. 
A FLOWER of the beautiful Lelia purpurata Ashworthiana is sent from the 
collection of E. Ashworth, Esq., Harefield Hall, Wilmslow. It is 
remarkable for the shape and colour of the petals, which measure over two 
inches broad, and are deeply stained and nerved with purple, except at the 
apex and basal margins, these being white. The front of the column and 
disc of the lip are also strongly stained with purple, while the latter is 
yellow i in ordinary forms. In short, the flower is in a peloriate condition, 
~and the petals approach about half way towards the lip in general character, 
being analogous in this respect with Dendrobium nobile Cooksoni, and, like 
it, proves permanent in character. Another point common to both is that 
the petals do not spread, as in normal forms. The present variety is one 
of the most distinct varieties we have seen, and strikingly handsome. 
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