ORCHIDS. 



301 



and 



C. maculata, var. ParJceru.—kn extremely 'beauti- 

 ful variety; sepals and petals light yellow; hood 

 deep reddish-purple, the hehnet heing spotted with 

 the same colour. May and June. Demerara. 



C. maculata, var. punctata. — In this variety the 

 flowers are large, beautiful, and distinct ; 

 petals bright yellow, dotted and spotted 

 with red; hehnet conical, rich orange- 

 brown. June and July. Caraccas. 



C. speciosa. — This species, of which we 

 give an illustration, wiU show the strange 

 form taken by these flowers. The whole 

 flower is of a uniform pale yellow 

 throughout, and spotless, and the hood 

 is not curved forward as in the other 

 species. Spring and early summer. 

 Bahia. 



C. speciosa, var. alba. — The flowers of 

 this form are of a uniform white, which 

 is quite destitute of spots. May and 

 June. Bahia. 



C. speciosa, var. vitellina. — A variety 

 "with rich, deep, yolk of egg coloured 

 flowers; spotless. May and June. Brazil. 



Cycnoches. — The name signifies 

 swan-neck, and is derived from the long 

 cui'ved column ; the genus is a near ally 

 of C'atasetum, and Hke the plants of that 

 genus, is subject to great variations, 

 which indeed render it very difficult to 

 define the Hmits of a species. Cultivation 

 same as for Catasetum. 



Cycnoches are remarkable for the fact 

 that the same plants often produce quite 

 different flowers. In some cases the same 

 are not produced two seasons in succession; and 

 not unfrequently two kinds of flowers are produced 

 on the same plant at the same time. The variety 

 illustrated — the parent of many others — is an in- 

 stance of this. The following are brief descriptions 

 of some other varieties : — 



C. aureum. — Flowers large and closely set, of a 

 uniform clear yellow. Spring and summer. Central 

 America. 



C. harhatiim [Polycycnis barbata). — Flowers bright 

 pink, spotted with red. Spring. Costa Rica. 



C. Loddigesii. — This produces two kinds of flowers 

 rather frequently ; in the most showy form the 

 flowers are large and fragrant ; sepals and petals 

 green and purple ; lip white, spotted with purple. 

 Summer months. Surinam. 



C. pentadactylon. — The flowers of this kind are 

 large, and of a uniform yellowish - green, more or 

 less streaked with brown. Summer and autumn. 

 Brazil. 



Cymbidium. — These are terrestrial vandaceous 

 Orchids, producing sword-shaped distichous leaves, 

 and forming in some instances short, stout, oval 

 pseudo-bulbs, which are enveloped by the imbricating 

 bases of the leaves. The scape is radical, in some 

 species erect, in others quite pendulous, the chief 



Ctcnoches ■Wakscewiczii. 



character in the flowers -being the 

 presence of two conspicuous curved 

 ridges on the labellum. 



The word Cymbidium is derived from 

 Jcymbe, "a boat," and refers to a hollow 

 recess in the lip, and formerly included 

 numerous Orchids which had no claim 

 to be associated with this gTOup. 



Cymbidiums should be grown in 

 rough peat and Sphagnum moss. They 

 are plants which make a great quantity 

 of stout fleshy roots, and consequently 

 require plenty of pot-room. During 

 the growing season give a liberal sup- 

 ply of water, and never by any chance 

 allow the thin-leaved kinds (such as 

 eburneum) to suffer from drought at any time. 

 Formerly the beautiful species eburneum was very 

 rare, and unfortunately it lost favour on account of 

 its being a shy flowerer ; but then it was treated to 



