February, 1914.] 



THE ORCHID WORLD. 



lOI 



especially the case in plants in which the 

 flowers last but a single day, as is the case of 

 the Pigeon Orchid, but it is difficult to see 

 how this is brought about." 



Manchester Orchid Society. — During 

 the present month Exhibitions and Committee 

 meetings will be held on Thursdays, February 

 1 2th and 26th. 



Cattleya Percivaliana alba " Lady Holford. " 



CATTLEYA PERCIVALIANA, 



CATTLEYA PERCIVALIANA was 

 first brought under public notice in 

 the year 1882, when Messrs. Sander 

 and Sons imported it from Venezuela. It 

 belongs to the labiata section of Cattleyas, 

 and although originally described as a variety 

 of labiata, it is now fully recognised as a 

 distinct species. When the first flower opened 

 in this country, late in the autumn of 1882, 

 considerable controversy arose regarding its 

 botanical position. Many columns were 

 contributed to the horticultural press by the 

 leading Orchidists of that time, and anyone 

 who cares to read the correspondence cannot 

 help noticing how much we have learnt since 

 then and what a change has taken place in 

 the selection of our Orchidaceous plants. 



While some growers of thirty odd years 

 ago considered C. Percivaliana to be a late 

 flowering variety of C. labiata, others 

 regarded it as an early flowering form of 

 C. Mossiae, and it was even suggested that it 

 might be a hybrid between the two. No 



doubt such a hybrid would prove of immense 

 value for winter flowering use, yet, probably 

 on account of the difficulty experienced in 

 obtaining both species in flower at the same 

 period, no record of this interesting cross can 

 be traced. This is one of the few remaining 

 chances of making a new primary hybrid. 



Named in honour of Mr. Percival, at that 

 time a noted amateur grower of Southport, 

 this species has produced several charming 

 varieties. Of these, the best are the albino 

 forms, the first of which appeared in the 

 Percival collection within a year or .so of the 

 introduction of the species. In this matter 

 C. Percivaliana has treated us generously, 

 for with other species we have been kept 

 anxiously waiting during many years before 

 the anticipated albino has appeared. 



The subject of our illustration is the 

 beautiful albino variety known as Lady 

 Holford. In the large size of the flowers and 

 their pure whiteness are those qualities which 

 allow this variety to stand alone in its 

 excellence, while the orange area in the throat 

 contributes to its chastely enchantment. 



VOL. IV. 



14 



