io8 



THE ORCHID WORLD. 



[Fc'bruai-}-, iyi6. 



places ; the larye oblong' kibelluin neli 

 violel-purple, and the crest brig-ht yellow. 

 It was awarded a Fn'st-class Certificate, 

 R.H.S., September 24th, 191 2, when 

 exhibited by Messrs. E. II. Davidson and Co. 

 Odoiitoylossum Jeannette (Rossii rubescens x 

 aiiiabile) is the subject of a coloured plate 

 published in the ORCHID WORLD, Vol. 111., 

 p. 44. Odontoglossuni Smithii (Rossii 

 rul)escens x crispo-IIarr\anuin, is also 

 illustrated 111 colours, \'ol. II., p. i. 



CATTLEYA PERCIVALIANA. 



ALTHOL^GH new species are continuall)- 

 being discovered, they belong mainly 

 ^ to the section termed " botanical" 

 They do not yield to the possessor that same 

 sense of pleasure as was witnessed in the 

 early days of Orchid collecting, when some 

 of the larger-flowering species were m the 

 commencement of their popularity. The 

 granting of an Award of Merit to the fine 

 variety of Cattleya Percivaliana, shown by 

 Messrs. Stuart Low and Co., at the Royal 

 Horticultural Society, January nth, 191O, 

 recalls the controversy which prevailed soon 

 after the introduction of this species, during 

 the period of 1882-3. 



Enthusiasts then had a lively time in 

 discussing whether this was a true species or 

 merely a variety of C. labiata, or even C. 

 Mossia?. One cannot entirely blame the 

 experts who did not then acknowledge it as 

 a species, for they had precious little material 

 to guide them, frequently it only amounted 

 to a semi-established plant, a dried flower, or 

 one damaged by passing through the post. 



However, Mr. R. P. Percival, in whose 

 honour the plant was named, sent a flower of 

 it to a member of the R.H.S. Orchid 

 Committee, who not only described it as a 

 beautiful variety of the C. labiata section, but 

 recorded the dimensions of all the segments, 

 even to the sixteenth of an inch, and agreed 

 that Prof. Reichenbach was warranted m 

 calling it C. labiata Percivaliana. 



It was the late Sir Trevor Lawrence who 

 wrote (Card. ( 7/ /'c/^, 'February loth, 1H83): 

 — " I consider this C^attleya to be a small 

 variet)' of C. Mossia?, possibly autumn- 

 flowering, l)ut as to this it is too early to 

 speak. It might fairly have Ijcen called C. 

 MossijE Percivaliana. . . . The lip is small 

 and puckered-up like an old woman's cap." 



Early m 1883, Mr. F. W^ Burbidge 

 remarked (The Garden, Feljruary 24th): — 

 " Of all the flowers of C. Percu aliana I have 

 yet seen, not one is in an)' way equal in 

 beauty, or size, or colour to the worst form 

 of C. Wariieri I ever saw. There are fifty 

 varieties of C. Mossi;e superior to it in every 

 wa\-. . . . Now that 1 have seen flowers I 

 shall speak and write of it as a C. Mossiae, 

 and a \er\- poor, little, crumpled-up and 

 disappointing C. Mossiae it is !" 



It is a well-known fact that some species 

 can be collected in more than one district, 

 good or bad varieties as the case may be. 

 The foregoing descriptions of C. Percivaliana 

 evidently apply to the bad sort, which to this 

 day has been periodically imported, and is 

 characterised by a small, constricted or 

 "puckered-up" labellum. The best form, as 

 exhibited by Messrs. Stuart Low and Co. on 

 January nth, 191 6, has flowers almost as 

 large as those of C. labiata, and with rich 

 \elvety maroon, and sun-set tints 111 the 

 throat ; when so seen it certainly possesses 

 some resemblance to C. Mossiae, although 

 flowering at a different season. Unfortu- 

 nately, this good form of the species has 

 rarely been imported in quantity, more 

 especially during the later part of its history. 



C. Percivaliana is useful for supplying 

 Cattleya flowers during the winter season, 

 although of late years several hybrids have 

 taken its place m more than one trade estab- 

 lishment, still it has much to recommend it for 

 private collections and where species are 

 preferred to hybrids. The pure white varieties 

 are by no means plentiful. As soon as the 

 last C. labiata flowers have been cut the 

 supply of bloom is continued by C. Perci- 

 valiana right on until C. Trianas comes in 

 season, it thus forms a worthy connecting link 

 between the late autumn and earl)- spring 

 varieties. 



