300 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GAEDENING. 



labellum. Botanically, the genus is thus charac- 

 terised : — Sepals dilated, flexuose, conduplioate ; 

 petals erect, much smaller than the sepals. Label- 

 lum large, unguiculate, galeate, continuous with the 

 base of the column, tridentate ; column terete, two- 

 horned at the base, elongated, recurved at the apex, 

 two-winged. Anther two-celled. Pollen 

 masses, two, compressed, sulcate behind, 

 with a linear-arched caudicula, and a 

 lunate gland. These plants are all epi- 

 phytes, natives of tropical America, and 

 are found growing upon the tops of the 

 highest trees, fully exposed to the influence 

 of the sun's rays. It is recorded that 

 these plants are always found in the com- 

 pany of ants, and that they grow in, and 

 derive benefit 

 from, their nests. 

 It occurs to us, 

 however, that the 

 ants, finding the 

 Corj^anthes pro- 

 duce such quan- 

 tities of a liquid 

 so congenial to 

 their taste, estab- 

 lish themselves on 

 the branches and 

 round the pseudo- 

 bulbs of these 

 plants, it is there- 

 fore the Cory- 

 anthes that are 

 necessary to the 

 ants, and not the 

 ants to the Cory- 

 anthes. 



A writer thus 

 describes the first 

 species intro- 

 duced : — " From 

 the branches of 

 trees on Victoria 



Hill, above Bahia, hang down little vegetable 

 buckets, into which a pair of stumps or fingers con- 

 stantly distil a sweetish, colourless fluid, which, drop 

 by drop, gradually fills the bucket. The fingers are 

 processes springing from the base of the column of 

 this Orchid ; the bucket is a great helmet-shaped lip, 

 sustained by a stiff arm which keeps it perfectly 

 steady, so that the honey may not be spilt. The 

 column itself turns back as if to keep its head out of 

 the way of the drops, while the broad, membranous, 

 lateral sepals, resembling bats' wings, turn quite 

 back, as if to unveil the singular phenomena which 

 the blossom presents." 



CORTANTHES SPECIOSA, 



Coryanthes should be grown in hanging baskets, 

 as they are seen to much better advantage in such 

 a position ; they are evergreen plants, producing 

 from their pseudo-bulbs, which are more or less fur- 

 rowed, a pair of plaited leaves some ten or twelve 

 inches in length. During the growing season they 

 require an abundant supply of water, but 

 afterwards sufficient only to keep them 

 from shrivelling ; they must be exposed to 

 all the sun and light it is possible to give 

 them ; peat and Sphagnum, in about equal 

 parts. Brazilian House. 



C. Fieldingii. — The species belonging to 

 this extraordinary genus have, to a great 

 extent, fallen out of cultivation. This 

 has arisen fi'om their habit of dying off 

 rapidly, which, 

 we believe, is 

 caused by a sys- 

 tem of heavily 

 shading, which 

 these plants can- 

 not endure. The 

 present plant pro- 

 duces flowers of 

 a dull yellow, 

 mottled with rich 

 brown, and some 

 five inches in 

 diameter ; it is 

 very distinct and 

 the largest of the 

 family. May and 

 June. Brazil. 



C.macrantha. — 

 This fine species 

 produces very 

 large flowers. 

 Ground-colour, a 

 bright rich yel- 

 low, spotted with 

 red, the conical 

 helmet being, in 

 addition, suffused with rich orange-brown. June 

 and July. Caraccas. 



C. maculata. — In this we have a very distinct and 

 handsomely-marked flower. Sepals of a uniform 

 pale yellow; the hood is curved prominently for- 

 ward ; pale yellow, the helmet suffused with light 

 purplish- violet, and spotted with a deeper shade of 

 the same colour. June and J uly. Demerara. 



C. macnJata, var. Albert'mce. — Flowers large, sepals 

 and petals bright, yellow, spotted with rich, deep 

 red ; hood white, dotted all over with rose ; helmet 

 deep crimson, sparingly spotted on the inside. June 

 and July. Venezuela. 



