4 



THl-: ORCHID WORLD. 



[Ocloljt'r, iyi5- 



Zygopelalum Burtii. 



ZYGOPETALUM BURTII. 



THIS handsome species, often cultivated 

 under the name Batemania Burtii, 

 was originally discovered by Endres 

 in 1 86/ in Costa Rica, and shortly afterwards 

 imported by Messrs. Veitch. It flowered for 

 the first time in England in the collection of 

 Mr. B. Hume, at Wmterton, Norfolk, m the 

 summer of 1872. 



The plant is without pseudo- bulbs, but has 

 numerous leaves, 10-15 inches long. The 

 fleshy flower has the sepals and petals of 

 about equal size, which are white at the base, 

 then yellow, the apical half red-brown with 

 some yellow spots, the petals with some 

 crimson-jjurple streaks at the base. The 

 basal half of the labellum white, the apical 

 portion red-brown ; the crest consists of a 

 semi-circular white plate fringed with long, 

 narrow, light purple incurved teeth ; the 



column winged and hooded, with the margin 

 jagged, pale green with a purple spot on each 

 side of the stigma. 



Z. Burtii cannot be considered an easy 

 species to cultivate, although when in 

 experienced hands excellent results are 

 obtained. The following account of the 

 climate of Costa Rica, sent to the Gardeners' 

 Chronicle (Vol. XX., p. 599) by Richd. Pfau, 

 an Orchid collector in Central America, 

 suggests the treatment necessary: — 



" The temperature of Costa Rica is 

 remarkable for its equability, especially for 

 the minima which are reached every day just 

 before sunrise. At my station the maximum 

 was 26° C. (79° F.) by day, and never below 

 15° C. (60° F.) by night. In the mountain 

 region the temperature is about 2° C. less for 

 every 1,000 feet elevation. The temperature 

 is about the same all through the rainy 

 season, and even in the dry season the 



