[77] 



LISSOCHILUS GIGANTEUS weiw. 



. obtusis, intermedio semiorbicularibus obtusis, cannis in 



ltifloris, bracteis obovato-oblongis obtusis v. rarius 



late obovato-oblongis obtusis v. apiculatis, labello trilobo, lobis 



elevatis ternis, calcari conico obtuso. Columna 



Rchb. f. in Gard. Chron., 



. 616, 617, flg. 83 ; 



Hort, 



Planta altissima, foliis auguste lanceolatis acutis 3—5 pedem longis, scapis erectis alt 

 subacutis, floribus speciosis, sepalis reflexis spathulatis subacutis apice concavis, petali; 

 lateralibus erectis amplis apice rotundatis 

 clavata. 



LISSOCHILUS GIGANTEUS, Welw. ex Rchb. f. in Flora, XLVIII. (1865), . 

 XXXV., p. 49, t. 53 ; Warn. & Will. Orchid Album, X., t. 4 57 I Rolfe in Gard. Chron., 1893, I, P- 684 ; Veitch Man. Orch., IX., p 3. _ 



This remarkable orchid was originally discovered by the celebrated African traveller, the late Dr. Welwitsch, in or before the year 1862, in the Angola 

 district of Golungo Alto, where it is said to be spread over nearly the whole district in marshy spots at 1,000 feet to 2,400 feet altitude. It was also met with 

 by Mr. and Mrs. Monteiro, some distance further north, at the mouth of the river Zaire (Congo), near Porto da Lenha, on the banks of the river, growing in 

 the mud, which at high tide was covered with fresh water. Johnstone also met with it on the Congo, and speaks of it as follows :-<< In the marshy spots, down 

 near the river shore, are masses of that splendid orchid, Lissochilus giganteus, a terrestrial species that shoots up often to the height of 6 feet from the ; 

 bearing such a head of red-mauve, golden scented blossoms as scarcely any flower in the world can equal for 



with their light green, spear-like leaves, and their tall, swaying flower-stalks, grow in groups of forty and fifty together, often reflected 1 

 stagnant water round their bases, and filling up the foreground of the high purple-green forest with a blaze of tender, peach-like 1 

 to cultivation by M. Auguste Linden, who in 1887 brought plants from the Congo district. Two of these \ 

 year, and about seven months afterwards one of them was in flower, and formed one of the centres of attr; 



then it has flowered in several other collections. It is a most distinct species, with large light rose-purple petals and lip, and 



These orchids, 



It was introduced 

 : brought over from Ghent in September of that 

 on at the Royal Horticultural Society's Temple 



Show in May, 1888. 



greenish sepals faintly tinged with r 



. giant among < 





R. A. Rolfe. 



Among the most noble and stately of terrestrial orchids the place of honour should be awarded to the glorious Lissochilus 

 giganteus, the Cattleya of the East. 



The first to discover this remarkable plant was the celebrated African explorer, the late Dr. Frederic Welwitsch, 

 who found it very widely distributed in the Portuguese territory of Angola, West Africa. This was about the year 1862. 



It was subsequently met with by Mr. Monteiro flourishing in wild luxuriance on the muddy banks of the Congo 

 river, quite near its outfall into the Atlantic, where these muddy shallows were completely submerged by every rising 

 tide. Here it was also seen by our excellent collector, Mr. William Micholitz, whom we despatched in 1885 to explore 

 the Congo region. From him we received glowing accounts of its magnificence, and his opinions flatteringly endorsed 

 the observations made by Mr. Johnston in his book on the Congo, published in 1884. 



Mr. Micholitz also found it growing in abundance further north upon the Kwilu River, in Loango, from whence 

 we also imported the rare Lissochilus dilectus (Rchb. fils, Gard. Chron., 1886, I., 456.) On April 16, 1886, we offered 

 this variety by public auction — some hundreds of plants — which, taking into consideration the wearisome journey, came 

 home in really fine condition, but the L. giganteus imported with them suffered severely, and only a few plants out of 

 six cases survived, and these we considered too poor to offer for sale. It is on record that this plant was introduced 

 in 1887 ; this is not the fact, for we first imported it in March, 1886, and a second importation reached us in July of the 

 same year. To behold the loveliness and beauty of this gorgeous orchid, one should pay a visit to the superb collection 

 of Monsieur le Due de Massa, where they show themselves year after year in all their native vigour, and it may here be 

 seen that the reports of the various travellers, as chronicled, are not by any means extravagant. 



The Chateau de Franoonville, the seat of Monsieur le Due de Massa, is about an hour's journey from Paris ; and 

 in the Aquarium there, a beautiful and lofty structure, these giants of orchid life develop their striking grandeur. The 

 leaves attain a length of 9 or 10 feet, but are surpassed by the stupendous flower stalks, which reach to a height of 12 

 feet and more. These are thrown up from July to September every year with undeviating constancy. 



