ACINETA AEEIDES. 



27 



A. Humholdtii. — A strong-growing species from La 

 Guayra. Flowers in the same way as Barkerii, but about 

 a month earlier ; the long spikes of flowers are of a deep 

 chocolate colour, spotted with crimson. It lasts only a 

 short time in perfection. 



In order that the flowers in this class, as in all others, 

 may be preserved in bloom, care should be taken not to 

 wet them while watering the plants. 



AERIDES. 



Aerides are among the most beautiful of Orchids, many 

 of them uniting every good quality that a plant can 

 possess, — rich, evergreen, and regularly-curved foliage, — a 

 graceful habit, — flowers of peculiar elegance. Even when 

 not in bloom the plants themselves are interesting objects, 

 and give a sort of tropical character to the collections 

 in w^hich they are found. The stem of the plants is straight 

 or slightly bent, with leaves attached on opposite sides, 

 and the plant is nourished by large fleshy roots, shc>oting 

 out horizontally from the lower part of the stem. The 

 flowers, which are rich and waxy, proceed from the axils 

 of the leaves, and extend in delicate racemes one or two 

 feet in length, while their fragrance is so abundant as to 

 fill the house in which they grow with grateful perfume. 



These plants are of easy culture, and if properly at- 

 tended to are seldom out of order. They are found in the 

 hottest parts of India and other warm countries, growing 

 on the branches of trees, generally on such as overhang 

 streams of water ; and to grow them in anything like per- 

 fection, the climate in which they grow wild must be imi- 

 tated as nearly as possible. I find they succeed best with 

 a good supply of heat and moisture in their growing season, 

 which is from about March to the latter end of October, 



