380 



LA.S8ELL'S POPULAR aAPi)E>sl>;G-. 



by the name of Eainy-montli Flower. The pseudo- 

 hulbs are slender, erect, and slightly swollen at the 

 base, and very prettily spotted with crimson. The 

 flowers are borne in short racemes of three or four 

 together, each upwards of three inches across ; 

 sepals and petals very pointed, bright cerise ; lip 

 pale cerise and white, with a deep pui'ple blotch at 

 the base. Spring and summer, lasting very long in 

 perfection. Ceylon. 



I), nobile. — This fine old species is a general 

 favomite, and has long been an inhabitant of our 

 plant -houses. It may be grown in either pot or 

 basket, or on a block of wood ; but if a large 

 specimen is required, pot-culture must be adopted. 

 The pseudo-bulbs are erect, one to two feet long, pale 

 green, and ver}'- transparent. It is an abundant 

 bloomer, flowers usually two or three on the raceme : 

 sepals and petals waxy -white, tinged and tipped 

 with pink ; lip white, with a large crimson blotch at 

 the base. In the variety Walla chianum, the flowers 

 are larger and much deeper in colour ; there are 

 numerous varieties, but for size and richness of 

 colouring all are far surpassed by the variety 

 RoUissonii, sometimes called ;^oii^e nobU'iHs ; in this 

 the flowers are large and spreading, and rosy- 

 purple in the sepals and j^etals, the lip being of a 

 deep velvety-purple. Winter and spring months. 

 Widely distributed throughout India. 



B. Farishii. — This is a distinct and beautiful 

 species when in flower, but the thick bent-down 

 pseudo-bulbs give it a somewhat imgainly appear- 

 ance when not in bloom. It may bo grown either 

 in a pot or basket, but appears to thrive best and 

 display its beauty to the greatest advantage in a 

 basket. Pseudo-bulbs thick and bent downwards, 

 one to two feet or more long, bearing on the naked 

 stems a profusion of its pm-plish rose-coloured 

 flowers in May and June. Mouhnein. 



D. Pierardii and its varieties are all very desirable 

 plants, producing very long pendulous pseudo-bulbs. 

 They must be grown upon a block or in a basket, 

 as their beauties cannot be seen unless suspended. 

 Pseudo-bulbs two to three feet or more long, de- 

 ciduous; these are beautifully festooned with its 

 flowers, which are in the sepals and petals creamy- 

 w^hite or pink, the lip usually pale primrose. It 

 appears to chiefly grow upon Mango -trees in a 

 wild state. The variety latifolium is stronger in its 

 growth, and produces larger flowers than the ori- 

 ginal type. Spring months. Delta of the Ganges. 



D. pulchellum. —An elegant small-growing plant, 

 with slender pseudo-bulbs, seldom exceeding six 

 inches in length. It succeeds best in a basket. The 

 flowers are solitary, on rather long foot-stalks ; sepals 

 and petals pale purple, the latter much the broader. 

 Lip large and spreading, deep orange on the disc. 



with a border of white, the edge beautifully fringed. 

 Winter and spring months. Si 1 bet. 



D. suavissimum. — This most beautiful species re- 

 sembles B. chrysotoxum somewhat in its habit of 

 growth, and also in its raceme being somewhat lax. 

 The flowers are very large, of a uniform rich 

 golden-yellow, and the lip is ornamented with a 

 large velvety blotch of deep crimson or black. 

 Summer months. Burmah. 



B. speciosiim, — A yqxj robust evergreen species, 

 and perhaps the least showy of the genus ; but as it 

 can be kept in an ordinary green-house, it can be 

 grown by those having no hot-house. When growth 

 is complete, the best method to insure a crop of 

 flowers is to stand it in the open air for several 

 months. Pseudo-bulbs very stout, twelve to eighteen 

 inches high, bearing near the simimit several very 

 thick and leathery deep green leaves. Eacemes 

 ei-ect, as long as the growths, densely set with waxy 

 flowers of a creamy-yeUow, the lip prettily spotte I 

 with purple. Winter months. Australia, where it 

 is known as the Eock Lily. 



B. spccioi'im, var. Hillii. — By some this is con- 

 sidered a distinct species, but its differences, althougli 

 marked, are scarcely sufficient to entitle it to specific 

 rank. The pseudo-bulbs are much longer and more 

 f^lender, the racemes are also longer and pendent, 

 densely furnished with its creamy-white, fragrant 

 flowers. Winter months. Xew South Wales. 



B. transparois. — An elegant and compact-growing 

 species. Pseudo-btdbs erect, smooth, bearing nume- 

 rous ovate-lanceolate pale green leaves. Flowers 

 usually in pairs. Sepals and petals spreading, the 

 latter much the broader, all of a transparent pale 

 pink, or purplish lilac ; lip the same colour, with a 

 deep crimson blotch in the centre. Spring and early 

 summer. Nepaul. 



B. Wardianum. — If only one species of this genus 

 could be grown in a collection, this species, from its 

 large size and wondrous combination of colours, 

 would in most instances be selected. The pseudo- 

 bulbs are very long, pendulous, and swollen at the 

 joints, and furnished with numerous ovate-lanceolate 

 leaves, which are deciduous. Flowers, two to three, 

 very large, often measuring four to six inches across. 

 Sepals lanceolate and obtuse, petals much broader 

 than the sepals, oblong-ovate, all waxy- white, broadly 

 tipped with rich magenta. Lip cucullate, somewhat 

 ovate in front, the sides rolled over the column ; 

 the basal portion deep orange-yellow, bordered in 

 front with white, broadly tipped with magenta, an l 

 ornamented near the base with two deep crimson 

 blotches. It is a profuse bloomer. Winter and 

 spring months. Originally introduced fi'om Assam, 

 but more recently a more robust- growing form has 

 been discovered in Burmah. 



