88 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GAEDEXIXG. 



profusion its ratlier lax racemes of "bright purple 

 flowers. New Grenada. 



E. Frederici-GuUelmi. — A remarkably tall-growing 

 species, with reed-like stems, which are clothed with 

 Droad-ohlong, sheathing, dark green leaves, arranged 

 in a two-ranked manner; the raceme is terminal, 

 dense, and the flowers are horne upon long foot-stalks, 

 and are of a uniform chestnut-bro^sTi, except the 

 base of the lip, which is white. ^fountains of 

 Peru. 



^. ihaguense. — Another of the reed-like stemmed 

 species, of great beauty. It is thus briefly described : 

 " Leaves an inch and a quarter broad, and the stems 

 as thick as a swan's quill, apparently often branched. 

 When old they become as smooth as bamboos ; " 

 the flowers are very conspicuous, being rich orange- 

 scarlet in colour. "Winter and spring months. 

 Native of rocky places about Loxa, in Peru, and 

 near Ibague in New Grenada, at upwards of 4,000 

 feet elevation. 



E. myrianthum. — Unfortunately this most beauti- 

 ful species still remains scarce in cultivation, the 

 majority of the plants that arrive in England being 

 killed by kindness. The stems are slender, three or 

 more feet high; the hnear-lanceolate leaves being- 

 arranged in a distichous manner, and bearing on the 

 summit immense erect branched panicles of rich 

 magenta flowers. Spring and early summer. High 

 mountains of Guatemala. 



£. nemorale, var. majus.- — This gi^and species anc" 

 its variety are dwarf compact growers; pseudo-bulbs 

 ovate, some four inches or more high, bearing a 

 pair of long ensiform pale green leaves. Erom between 

 these the panicle arises. This differs in density and 

 length in different varieties ; in the original nemorale 

 it is unbranched, but in the best forms the panicle is 

 much branched. Sepals and petals two inches or 

 more long, narrow, and delicate rose in colour ; lip 

 large, white, bordered with deep rose. Summer 

 months. Mexico. 



B. paniciilatum. — A superb cool-house species. Its 

 reed-like stems attain a height of about four feet, 

 clothed with lanceolate spreading leaA-es some six 

 inches long, and deep green. Eacemes erect, much 

 branched, and upwards of a foot long ; flowers large, 

 delicate rosy-lilac, and very fragrant. April and 

 May. Peru and New Grenada, at elevations of 

 7,000 to 8,800 feet. 



E. ^jrismatocatyum. — This is an elegant and dwarf- 

 growing plant ; pseudo-bulbs flask-shaped, sHghtly 

 firrrowed, and bearing two to three bright green 

 leaves nearly a foot long. Erom the centre of these 

 the erect scape arises, bearing a many -flowered 

 raceme about the same length as the leaves. Sepals 

 and petals about equal, creamy-yellow, spotted and 

 blotched with black ; Hp pink, tinged with green at 



the base, very fragrant. June and July. Central 

 America. 



E. syringothyrsis.—Tlns, very beautiful plant re- 

 sembles E. myrianthum somewhat, but it is more 

 robust in habit ; the reed-like stem attains a height 

 of about four feet, bearing a ver^^ dense head of large 

 deep lilac flowers. Spring and early sunmaer. 

 Boli\'ia, at considerable elevations. 



E. raclicans — also known by the name of E. rh izo- 

 phorum — is a plant of great beauty. It belongs 

 to the slender-stem section, and is undoubtedly one 

 of the best of its class. It produces large termi- 

 nal racemes of orange- scarlet flowers. It blooms at 

 various times of the year. This plant luxuiiates 

 amongst grass and other low herbage in Mexico and 

 Guatemala. 



E. viteUi)ium, and its var. majns. — Although last, 

 this stiH stands in the first rank of beautiful flowers. 

 It is foimd growing upon Oak-trees at great eleva- 

 tions, continually enveloped in foggy mists; the 

 pseudo-bulbs are ovate, and, like the leaves, of a 

 glaucous hue. Scape erect, many-flowered ; sepals 

 and petals spreading, thick and fleshy, bright orange- 

 scarlet ; lip bright yellow. A continual bloomer. 

 Mexico. 



EpistepMum.— Although this genus contains 

 numerous species, one only is at present in culti- 

 vation, and that is extremely rare. Epistephiums 

 are nearly allied to SobraHas, but do not, like them, 

 form reed-like persistent stems. Pot in loam and 

 rsand, in about equal proportions, drain well, and 

 water freely dming the growing season, but the 

 plants must not be elevated above the rim of the 

 pot. Brazilian House. 



E. WiUiamsii. — A terrestrial plant of great beauty, 

 forming fleshy under-ground roots from which the 

 stems proceed ; these attain a height of fi-om twelve 

 to eighteen inches or more, and are clothed with 

 alternate oblong leaves, which are stem-clasping, 

 thick and fleshy in texture, and dark shining green. 

 Spike terminal, erect, and bearing several flowers 

 upwards of thi-ee inches in diameter. Sepals and 

 petals bright reddish-purple, the latter much the 

 broader. Lip divided in front, deep reddish-iDurple, 

 white in the centre. Summer months. Brazil, in 

 the neighboui'hood of Bahia. 



G-aleandra. — A small genus of elegant epiphytes, 

 nearly related to Eidoph ia. The name is derived from 

 galea, "a helmet," and aiier, "a stamen," in reference 

 to the shape of the lip and the crested male organ 

 on the top of the colunm. They are plants of erect 

 gro^i:h, with somewhat slender fusiform pseudo- 

 bulbs, which are deciduous, and fi-om the apex of 

 which the scape arises just about the time the 



