ORCHIDEOUS EPIPHTTES. 



198 ORCHIDEOUS EPIPHYTES. 



filled with moss, or tied on pieces of 

 ■wood, hung up from the rafters of a 

 damp stove, and in the shade. This 

 rule, however, though apparently so 

 reasonable, is not without its excep- 

 tions in practice ; probably because, 

 as it is impossible to imitate the na- 

 tural climate of the plants exactly, 

 their wants are changed by the dif- 

 ferent situation in which they are 

 placed. Thus the West India Den- 

 drobiums and Epidendrums, both of 

 which in their natural state are gene- 

 rally found on the branches of trees, 

 in a state of culture, thrive best potted 

 in turfy peat or chopped moss, left 

 sufficiently loose to allow the points 

 of the roots to protrude occasionally, 

 and hang down over the sides of the 

 pot. The flowers of the Dendrobiums 

 are generally produced in long pendent 

 racemes ; but those of the Epiden- 

 drums are erect,*like those of the 

 Oncidiums. Most of the East Indian 

 species should always be grown on 

 wood ; particularly Rendnthera coc- 

 cinea, and all the kinds of Vdnda and 

 Sarcdnthus ; the East Indian Den- 

 drobiums, and the different species 

 of Eria. The species of the general 

 Aerides and Coelogyne, however, 

 though both are always found on 

 trees in their native country, may, in 

 England, be grown in pots in turfy 

 loam or chopped moss, or in baskets 

 of moss. The Stanhopias and Cate- 

 setums should be grown in baskets 

 of moss, or in pots hung from the 

 rafters of the house, as their flowers 

 proceed from the roots, and hang 

 downwards ; but the Cattleyas, which 

 have erect flower-stems, are always 

 grown in pots. Where it is not con- 

 venient to have pots hanging from the 

 rafters, the Stanhopias must have a 

 pile of pieces of turfy peat raised at 

 least six inches above the rim of the 

 pot, and the pseudo-bulbs must be 

 placed on the top ; as unless this is 

 done, the flower-stem, when pro- 



truded from the root, will bury itself 

 in the earth contained in the pot, and 

 the flowers will be unable to expand, 

 though they will easily make their 

 way through the loose pieces of turf. 

 Where this mode of potting is adopted, 

 slender pieces of wood are generally 

 passed at regular distances through the 

 pile of turf, to keep the pieces in their 

 place. The Catesetums grow in open 

 parts of the woods of the tropical regions 

 of South America, and one species is 

 the celebrated Wourali Vine. They 

 all require great heat and moisture, 

 and when grown on wood it should 

 be on that of soft-barked trees. 



Various expedients have been de- 

 vised to produce the shade necessary 

 for some of the kinds of Orchideous 

 plants. The Orchideous house has 

 been in some cases glazed with dark- 

 green or brownish glass, double sashes 

 have been used, and creeping plants 

 trained over the roof. None of these 

 plans, however, have proved success- 

 ful ; as, though the plants thus treated 

 have grown rapidly, it has been to 

 produce leaves rather than flowers. 

 Whether it be that the plants in an 

 artificial state require more light than 

 in their native woods, or whether 

 the British sun is so much feebler 

 than that they have been accustomed 

 to, as to render shading unnecessary, 

 it is certain that the Orchideous epi- 

 phytes in England require plenty of 

 light, and that they never flower well 

 if kept in comparative darkness. 



Another point that has puzzled cul- 

 tivators is to find out what kind of 

 wood is most suitable for those kinds 

 that are to be grown on hanging 

 branches. Mr. Henchman, who col- 

 lected Orchidese on the Spanish Main, 

 asserts that he never found an Orchi- 

 deous plant on a dead tree, whether 

 standing or fallen, though he found 

 many species of Oncidium, Catase- 

 tum, &c. growing on the ground, as 

 though they had been accidentally 



