THE ORCHID REVIEW. 105 
ORCHIDS IN SEASON. 
WE are now approaching the best time of year for our favorites, and if 
April brings us a considerable amount of work, it also gives us the first 
impressions of spring. Orchids, like the inmates of our gardens, seem 
to be influenced by the general awakening, which always characterises the 
present season of the year. Just as in the open air the spring narcissus 
have already succeeded the snowdrops, and will be followed by spring 
bulbs, so in our Orchid houses we are now looking forward to some 
real Spring flowers, in all their brillancy, to replace the winter species 
which have once again disappeared. The bright sun, the clear atmosphere, 
and the lengthening days, all conduce to the welfare of our plants, and 
the number of Orchids already in bloom is considerable. And how 
beautifully our houses are decorated by them, and what harmonious 
contrasts are formed by the various species in flower. 
The Cool house is still gaily ornamented with numerous graceful 
spikes of Odontoglossum, whose blossoms, varying from the purest white 
to the deep violet-purple of O. Edwardii, intermingle with the richly- 
coloured O. triumphans and luteopurpureum, and with the aid of 
Ceelogyne cristata, not yet over, species of Oncidium and Masdevallia, 
Ada aurantiaca, and others, produce a most charming effect. The Cattleya 
house is also beginning to don its new season’s dress, the splendid C. 
Trianze and C. Schrodere with Lelia harpophylla and L. flava, forming 
a fine contrast. The Warm house, too, possesses already a great number 
of really good species, including Dendrobiums in full season; also many 
Cypripedes and Selenipedes, and the truly beautiful Lelia glauca. 
We may now take a glance round the houses, and note in more 
detail what April will actually show us, for it is always interesting to 
watch our favourites year after year taking their annual evolutions. 
The Cool house seems to be nearly in its perfection, and other spring 
species are coming on rapidly. The handsome Cochlioda sanguinea is 
now blooming, and the rare Cypripedium californicum is already showing 
its numerous flowers; among Masdevallias we have M. Schroederiana, X 
Chelsoni and Veitchiana, with other interesting species and hybrids. 
Besides those mentioned last month, which still make a good show, 
Odontoglossum apterum and its variety candidulum are nearly open. 
The old but always showy Sobralia macrantha is now opening its first 
flowers. Beautiful also in their own peculiarities are the pretty Bartholina 
pectinata, a South African species, with the lip broken up into numerous 
radiating filaments, and the Australian Caladenia carnea alba, with its 
pure white flowers. They should be grown in quite a cool house, and it 
is a pity that they are so rarely seen. Scaphosepalum punctatum is 
