October, 1914-] 



THE ORCHID WORT.D. 



•3 



ANGULOA RUCKERI. 



THE yemis Anguloa was founded by the 

 Spanisli botanists Ruiz and Pavon, 

 and dedicated by them to Don 

 Francisco de Angulo, at that time director- 

 general of mines in Peru, but owing to the 

 brief diagnosis and the obscure manner in 

 which it is worded Anguloa remamed for half- 

 a-century a botanical puzzle. The description 

 was of A. uniflora. 



However, by the enterprise of a few English 

 gentlemen much interested in Orchid culture, 

 nicluding Mr. Barker, of Birmingham, Mr. 

 Rucker, of Wandsworth, and the Rev. J. 

 Clowes, of Manchester, it was decided about 

 the year 1S41 to send a collector to Venezuela 

 and Colombia. M. Linden undertook the task 

 and reaped considerable success, discovering 

 both Anguloa Clowesii and A. Ruckeri. 

 The former was seen for the first time in 

 Europe in March, 1844, when it flowered in 

 the collection of Mr. Clowes. 



Anguloa Ruckeri was sent to the amateur 

 whose name it bears and in whose collection 

 it flowered in the year 1846. It was exhibited 

 in the garden of the Horticultural Society in 

 May of the same year, and was subsequently 

 figured in the Botanical Magazine by Lindley, 

 \\ ho remarked : — " This charming plant makes 

 the third species in our gardens of a genus 

 which, m the spring of 1844, was a botanical 

 puzzle. Such is the progress of scientific 

 discovery when promoted by horticultural 

 enterprise." 



At the above meeting of the Horticultural 

 .Society the exhibition of Orchids alone, states 

 the official report, was 48 yards long, in a 

 double bank, nor was there a bad specimen 

 among them, and indeed this was the great 

 and gratifying feature of the show. 



Our illustration is of Anguloa Ruckeri 

 sanguinea, an excellent specimen in the 

 collection of Mr. O. O. Wrigley, Bridge Hall, 

 Bury, Lanes., where it has been cultivated 

 under the care of Mr. E. Rogers, who 

 deservedly received a Cultural Certificate and 

 Bronze Medal when the plant was exhibited 

 at the Manchester Orchid Society, July i6th. 

 1914 



This plant was purchased by Mr. Wrigley 

 m Kjio, and grew Vv'cll dv.ring the- fcllowing 

 year. In igi2 it made a bulb "jl inches high 

 and thick in proportion, but the next season, 

 for some unexplainable cause, it entirely failed 

 to make any growth whatever. This apparent 

 loss, however, v/as remedied during the past 

 summer, when the plant sent forth two strong 

 growths at the same time, and shortly after 

 produced the unusual number of 13 full\- 

 developed flowers, ]iroof of which is given by 

 the reproduced photograph. 



The flowers of the normal type of y\nguloa 

 Ruckeri are greenish-brown externally, yellow 

 densely spotted with red on the inside ; 

 in the variety sanguinea the sepals and petals 

 are deep sanguineous red on the inside, lip 

 and column white, the former spotted with 

 crimson. This latter variety has been known 

 since the year 1854. 



This species was very rare until the 

 actual habitat was discovered by Blunt while 

 collecting for Messrs. Low and Co., about the 

 year 1870, who found it on the slopes of the 

 eastern Cordillera between Pamplona and 

 Bucaramanga. 



Anguloas are by no means difficult to 

 cultivate. They may be grown with much 

 success in almost any fibrous compost, that 

 consisting of good peat or osmunda with 

 sphagnum moss and a little loam being very 

 suitable. A temperature of about 55-60 

 degrees Fahr., with a slight rise during the 

 summer season, will be found quite sufficient. 

 The young growths need a little care to 

 prevent them being burnt by excessive sun- 

 shine or a too frequent supply of water, but 

 when the newly-made bulbs are nearing 

 completion more light and air should be 

 admitted in order to ripen them sufficiently 

 to withstand the variations of winter treat- 

 ment and to ensure further good results 

 during the succeeding season. 



Propagation is readily effected by dividing 

 the rhizome just before the growing season. 

 Almost every bulb will push forth a new 

 growth, although the older the bulb the 

 weaker will be the attempt. Little water will 

 be needed until new roots appear. 



