406 Golden Netted-leaved Orchids. 



flowers are at least pretty, if they are quite outdone in glory 

 by the leaves. We have yet much to learn of the extent to 

 which plants may with impunity he denuded of their flower- 

 buds, or have their seminal germs suppressed ; in many cases 

 the vigour of the leaf is visibly increased, in others it is not 

 so, and many plants have no doubt been lost to cultivation by 

 a mistaken interference with nature's order of procedure. In 

 the case before us, it may be stated without hesitation, that it 

 is good for the plants to flower, and the cultivator should hail 

 the flowers with a welcome. 



The Angectochilus belongs to the Neottiem section of 

 Orchidacese. The genera of this section are characterized by 

 having powdery pollen, a dorsal anther, almost parallel with 

 the stigma, or with the face of the column. For congeners 

 they have but few important genera. We find in this section 

 the interesting Prescottia, our British Listera and Neottia and 

 Epipactis, the beautiful Spiranthes, the chaste Goodyera, also 

 renowned for the beauty of its leaves, and these are about all 

 that are of much interest to cultivators out of the eighty estab- 

 lished genera, of which the section consists. The principal 

 characteristic of the flower of Anasctochilus is the spreading 

 apex of the lip, from which it takes its name. The flowers are 

 usually white, produced in light, graceful, rather sparsely 

 furnished spikes, and they may well be likened in general 

 appearence to the flowers of the pretty c( mother of thousands," 

 Saxifraga sarmentosa, which is a good substitute for an orchid 

 in a poor man's garden, and is less often seen in a flowering 

 •state than it should be. 



Considering the activity of plant collectors, and the 

 botanical wealth of the regions whence the Ansectochili at 

 present known have been obtained, it is fair to anticipate that 

 in a few years there will be hundreds of species known to 

 science. At present the species in cultivation number about 

 thirty, and the following are the most notable for their dis- 

 tinctness and beauty : — 



A. argenteus grows to a height of four inches ; leaves large, 

 light green, with sharp lines of bright silver. Easily grown, 

 and if warm enough never requires a bell-glass. 



A. argyreus. A Brazilian species, with long, narrow green 

 leaves, marked with silvery lines, the central space between 

 the lines greyish. 



A. Bulletin grows six inches high; leaves large, bronzy 

 green, with three broad lines of coppery red, which occa- 

 sionally change to bright gold. Difficult to grow, and requires 

 a bell-glass. 



A. Dominii. A hybrid between Gooolyera discolor and 

 A. xanlliophyllxis, obtained by Mr. Dominy, principal cultivator 



