lO 



THE ORCHID WORLD. 



[October, 1914. 



HABENARIA SUSANN/E. 



WHEN one considers the fact that 

 about 500 species of Habenaria are 

 known it is at once apparent that 

 the genus is almost neglected by horticul- 

 turists. It may be said with some truth that 

 many are of botanical value only, while others 

 usually fail to satisfactorily respond to 

 artificial treatment ; yet notwithstanding these 

 adverse facts there still remain several species 

 which can be relied upon to reward the 

 cultivator for any trouble he may care to 

 expend upon them. 



But few amateurs will deny that II. 

 Susannse is one of the finest representatives 

 of the genus. Although it has not the range 

 of brilliant colours seen m other species, it 

 fully makes up for this deficiency by its 

 stately nature and large pure white wax-like 

 flowers. The stiff erect stem reaches to a 

 height of from three to four feet, and carries 

 an average of four flowers at its apex ; on rare 

 occasions as many as seven have been seen, 

 but this IS only on the more robust plants. 

 From base to apex the stem is clothed 

 with light-green leaves, which remain fresh 

 until after the flowers have faded. The 

 chief peculiarities are the long spur and 

 the beautifully fringed side lobes of the 

 labellum. 



H. Susannas is a native of India and has 

 been known ever since the time of Linnaeus, 

 who called it Orchis Susannae. Major- 

 General E. S. Berkeley, when writing on 

 Moulmein Orchids in the Orchid Review, 

 1894, p. 331, remarks : — " In this district also 

 grows H. Susannas. I have seen whole beds 

 of it in flower in Moulmein, and I can only 

 suppose that difficulty of transport prevented 

 the collectors from bringing it home before. 

 Mr. Sander informs me that his collectors 

 have recently found the plant in islands still 

 more to the westward, so that the plant must 

 be much more widely distributed than has 

 hitherto been supposed. I have met with it 

 both in India and Burmah, and it was always 

 a great delight to come across a group of it. 

 It is found in very warm, sheltered, moist 

 places. It is too soft and succulent a plant to 



grow under any other conditions, and should 

 do well m a shady corner of the stove. The 

 flowers are not always pure white, I have 

 found spikes of it with a dash of green, but 

 all the varieties are beautiful." 



The fiower-spike depicted in this issue is 

 one of several which were to be seen during 

 the latter part of September m the establish- 

 ment of Messrs. Charlesworth and Co., who 

 cultivate the plants in a span-roofed house 

 where a high temperature and plenty of 

 atmospheric moisture are maintained during 

 the growing season, but in which cooler and 

 drier conditions are adopted when the resting 

 season arrives. The plants are allowed to 

 remain in the pots throughout the winter and 

 are not disturbed until the spring time, 

 at which season activity commences and 

 repotting is necessary. The compost consists 

 of good loam with the addition of a little 

 fibre, such as osmunda, to keep it porous ; m 

 fact, just such a compost as is suitable for 

 Cypripediums will do equally well for this 

 species. Although, as previously mentioned, 

 the plants like plenty of atmospheric moisture, 

 care must be taken that water does not remain 

 in the centre of the new growth when it 

 appears m the early part of the year, for 

 should this occur when the atmospheric 

 conditions are not entirely suitable a slight 

 rusty appearance manifests itself on the 

 upper surface of the leaves, giving one the 

 impression that thrip has been present. 

 Shading from the direct rays of the sun 

 will be found necessary during the greater 

 part of the summer, but it should not be 

 used to the extent usually adopted for 

 Cypripediums. 



Years ago this species was known as 

 Platanthera Susannae, and under this name is 

 given in the ORCHID WORLD, Vol. I., p. 162, 

 an account of a method of propagation which 

 does not appear to have been attempted m 

 this country. Although it is probable that 

 the stock of plants now under cultivation is 

 sufficient to meet the usual demand, it would 

 prove an interesting event to produce addi- 

 tional plants by the method therein advised, 

 for there may be a time when it will be 

 impossible to procure further supplies. 



