December, 1913-] 



THE ORCHID WORLD. 



59 



EULOPHIELLA HAMELINII. 



By Dr. P. FERKO, Milan, Italy. 



RETURNING to the remarks made in 

 the Orchid World, Vol. II., p. 254, 

 I should like to add a little more on 

 the culture of the above Orchid. Another 

 plant, considerably smaller than the one 

 previously described, finished up a bulb 

 the size of a 

 pigeon's egg, 

 and was 

 crowned with 

 four leaves. 

 It soon com- 

 menced to push 

 forth a new 

 growth, which 

 in three months' 

 time had de- 

 veloped to a 

 length of 8 

 inches, and pro- 

 jected far over 

 the edge of the 

 basket. This 

 necessitated a 

 second basket 

 being fixed so 

 that the growth, 

 which showed a 

 number of 

 roots, could 

 firmly establish 

 itself therein. 

 At the same 

 time the bulb 

 began to de- 

 v e 1 o p , and 

 several large 

 leaves were produced. 



Eulophiella Hamelinii, on account of its 

 rapid growth, requires a copious supply of 

 water. In its native habitat the plant grows 

 on the stems of the Pandanus, and uses the 

 water which is stored in the sheatning of the 

 leaves. Exposure to the full rays of the sun 

 is very beneficial. In July and August the 

 sun was so fierce that the leaves of some 



Eulophiella Hamelinii. 



Cattleyas, which happened to be near this 

 plant, were scorched in a few hours. 



By the end of November the plant had 

 finished its bulb and leaves. The former was 

 8 inches in height and had a circumference 

 of 6 inches. The latter, 1 1 in number, 



measured from 

 20 to 40 inches 

 in length. The 

 flower spike 

 began to show 

 itself near the 

 lowest leaf, 

 even before the 

 bulb was fully 

 developed. At 

 a temperature 

 of 65-70 degs., 

 Fahr., rapid 

 growth was 

 maintained, and 

 one could ob- 

 serve a daily 

 growth of about 

 three - quarters 

 of an inch. 

 After six 

 months the 

 flower s p 1 k e 

 reached a height 

 of about 5 feet, 

 and showed 

 buds as large as 

 a hazel-nut. 



In Madagas- 

 car the spikes 

 reach to a 

 height of 8 feet, and carry about 50 flowers. 

 It IS an imposing sight to view these 

 gigantic spikes majestically towering above 

 the leaves, and some idea of this may be 

 gained from the plant seen in the illustration. 

 The flowers of this plant have a much deeper 

 colour than others, being rosy mauve, which 

 harmonises splendidly with the glistening 

 white lip and its yellow crest. The first 



