102 



THE FLOWER GROWERS GUIDE. 



importation and flower freely, but after this degenerate and fresh, ones have to he obtained. 

 A thin compost, abundance of heat and moisture, with a free circulation of air, are the 

 conditions most likely to be productive of good results. 



Species with a Cattleya-like habit, such as E. ciliare, E. fragrans, E. cochleatum and 

 others do best in peat and moss, 

 over good drainage, in pots of 

 medium size. The long-stemmed 

 section, such as E. radicans, E. 

 xanthinum, and others of this 

 class, require ample room, and 

 thrive best in a large house where 

 they can extend and yet have their 

 heads a good distance from the 

 glass. The smaller-growing species 

 of the E. vitellinum type may be 

 grown in a thin compost of peat 

 and moss in differing temperatures, 

 as noted below. 



The genus is widely distributed 

 over the American continent and 

 islands, and is to the New "World 

 what Dendrobiums are to the Old. 



Eepeesentative Species. 



Epidendrum alatttai. — Flowers fragrant, 



on many-flowered peduncles, yellow and 



brownish purple. Honduras, 1837 [%). 

 E. araciixoglossum. — Long cylindrical 



sterns. Flowers crimson, with a yellow 



disc to the lip. New Grenada, 1876 (i). 

 E. atropurpureum (macrochilum). — A 



handsome species. Flowers yellow and 



brown on the sepals, the lip white and crimson. 



Venezuela, 1836 (?'). 

 E. bicornutum (syn. Diacrium bicornutum). — A lovely 



species, with pure white flowers, very lightly dotted 



on the sepals, with purple in some cases. Trini- 

 dad, 1833 (/(). (Fig. 55.) 

 E. ciliare. — A common but pretty species, sepals and 



Fig. 55. Epidendrum (Diacrium) bicornutum. 



petals yellow, lip white, very prettily fringed. 



West Indies, 1790 (i). 

 E. cinnabarinum. — Stems slender, a yard or more high. 



Flowers bright red. Bahia, 1840 (i.) 

 E. cochleatum. — Flowers yellow and reddish purple. 



West Indies, 1787 (i). 

 E. Endresi. — A rare, but lovely little orchid. 



