THE ORCHID GENERA 



Central America, the West India Islands, and the 

 United States. There are considerably over four 

 hundred known species spread over this great region, 

 but only a very few are considered to be of any 

 horticultural merit, the majority consisting chiefly of 

 species with inconspicuous flowers, though some of them 

 are delightfully fragrant. Among the best, the following 

 may be mentioned : E. atro-purpureum, E. (Diacrum) 

 bicornutum, E. E//isii, E. Endresii, E. fragrans, E. 

 Frederici Guilielmi, E. prismatocarpum, E. radicans, E. 

 sceptrum, E. Stamfordianum, E. vitellinum, E. xanthinum, 

 and E. Wallisiu E. bicornutum requires the warm, 

 moist atmosphere of the plant stove. E. vitellinum 

 prefers the cool house at all times. The species 

 generally require cultural treatment similar to that of 

 Cattleyas. Those kinds with flexuose stems, such as 

 E. radicans, do well trained around strong, neat sticks, 

 or planted out against pillars, the bright orange scarlet 

 flowers being always useful and attractive to visitors. 

 Several Epidendrum hybrids are very pretty. Such are 

 E. Dellense, E. Endresio-Wallisii, E. elegantulum, and E. 

 C? Brienianum. Epidendrums crossed with Laelias have 

 produced several pretty and interesting hybrids. Epi- 

 dendrum radicans crossed with Sophronites grandiflora 

 brought us the lovely deep crimson Epiphronites Veitchii. 

 These hybrids require the same cultural conditions as 

 do the majority of the species. 



Eria 



A large genus found chiefly in India and Malaysia. 

 The greater number are small flowered, but several 

 varieties are really worth cultivation, well -bloomed 

 plants of the following species being very pretty and 

 interesting objects : — E. acervata, E. aridostachya, E. brac- 

 tescens } E. densiflora, E. excavata, E. Jloribunda, E Aava, 



