ORCHIDS. 



232 



C. maxima. — The pseudo-bulbs of tliis plant are 

 somewhat stem-like, slender at the base, but thicken- 

 ing upwards, furrowed, a foot or more high, and 

 bearing a thick and fleshy oblong leaf, which is 

 about eight inches long and pale green; jDeduncle 

 five to ten- 

 flowered ; se- 

 pals linear 

 lancolate ; pe- 

 tals obovate, 

 waved at the 

 margins, all a 

 uniform rich 

 deep rose- 

 colour; the lip 

 large, con- 

 volute, middle 

 lobe spread- 

 ing, beauti- 

 fully crisp at 

 the edge, the 

 ground-colour 

 wliite, disc 

 ornamented 

 with a broad 

 o rang e - co- 

 loured streak, 

 the remaining 

 portion being 

 profusely de- 

 corated with 

 forked lines of 

 dark crimson; 

 the frilled 

 margin is 

 wliite. Late 

 summer and 

 autumn 

 months. Co- 

 lumbia. 



C.MencleUii. 

 — During the 

 past years 

 vast numbers 

 of Cattleyas 

 have been sent 

 home from 



New Grenada under the names of Triance, Chocoensis, 

 Mendellii, &c. &c. ; but we are under the impression 

 that these are only variations of one species, and 

 that the typical plant is C. Warscewiczii. These 

 variations in colour, however, are so great that 

 from a cultural point of view distinctive names 

 are requisite. In the variety Mendellii there are 

 numerous grand forms ; it is a bold-growing plant, 

 with a stout clavate pseudo - bulb, and broad - 



Cattleya Tkian^, 



oblong, coriac eous leaf ; the peduncle is three to 

 seven-flowered, each flower measuring six or seven 

 inches in diameter ; sepals and petals broad and 

 spreading, varying from pure white to pink, rosy- 

 pink, and deep rose ; lip large, the middle lobe 



spreading and 

 beautifully 

 crisp, varying 

 from a deep 

 rich pm-ple to 

 crimson and 

 magenta. It 

 continues in 

 full beauty a 

 long time. 

 Spring and 

 summer. New 

 Grenada. 



C. llossice. 

 — In this we 

 have a magni- 

 ficent species ; 

 but so vari- 

 able are they 

 in the mark- 

 ings of the 

 labellum that 

 it is hardly 

 possible to 

 obtain two 

 plants exactly 

 alike ; but all 

 the forms are 

 l)eautiful. 

 Pseudo - bulbs 

 clavate, fur- 

 rowed, bear- 

 ing a solitary 

 coriaceous 

 leaf; peduncle 

 three to six- 

 flowered, each 

 flower mea- 

 sming four to 

 six inches in 

 diameter ; se- 

 pals lanceo- 

 late ; petals much broader, somewhat oblong-ovate, 

 the margins waved ; lip three-lobed, obovate, with a 

 beautiful crisp margin ; the sepals and petals vary 

 in colour from pure white to blush and to deep rose, 

 and the lip varies also ; the ground-colour is usually 

 deep rose, the front lobe being rosy-purple, crimson, 

 or rich "violet, stained with orange in the throat. 

 The diiferences in colour render many of these very 

 distinct, and there are at least half a hundred forms 



