74 



ORCHIDS. 



mala. This is rather a large-growing plant, but it is one 

 of the finest. The flowers are produced on a spike five feet 

 long, having sometimes from fourteen to twenty flowers on 

 one spike, each flow^er measuring nearly four inches across. 

 The flowers are of a beautiful deep rose, variegated with 

 dark red; the lip is a rich crimson, striped with yellow. 

 It blooms during the winter months, and continues long in 

 beauty. The finest plant I ever saw of this is in the 

 Horticultural Gardens, Chiswick. This plant, when in 

 bloom, is worth travelling miles to see. It sometimes 

 produces as many as nine spikes of its beautiful flowers at 

 one time ; the plant is four or five feet high, and its dia- 

 meter is equal to its height ; it is in perfect health. 



LEPTOTES. 



This small genus of Orchids deserves to be in every 

 collection; they are small and compact-growing plants, 

 with curious evergreen foliage in the shape of a thick rush, 

 about three inches long, and produce their flowers from 

 the top of the bulb. They are of easy culture, and will do 

 either on blocks or in pots with peat. These plants are 

 very accommodating, for they will grow in either house 

 with a liberal supply of water in the growing season. They 

 are propagated by dividing the plants. 



Leptotes bicolor. — A pretty Orchid from Brazil; sepals 

 and petals are white, with a blotch of purple on the lip, 

 and blooms during the winter months, lasting four weeks 

 in beauty. 



Lep. serrulata. — A charming little plant, from the same 

 country as bicolor; the flowers are nearly the same in 

 colour; the only difference being, that they are much 

 larger. It blooms in April and May ; lasts three weeks in 

 perfection. A scarce plant. 



