June, 1914.] 



THE ORCHID WORLD. 



203 



and small propagated plants have delicate 

 roots and need a soft compost of light fibrous 

 material. The addition of extra moss may 

 well be recommended, so long as it is not 

 allowed to hold an excessive amount of 

 moisture. With this considerable care is 

 needed, or the roots are more liable to perish 

 than to grow. 



HINTS FOR COLLECTORS. 



Under the above title the Ki'zi.' Biillclin 

 publishes some useful notes on the collecting 

 of botanical specimens. Concerning Orchids 

 it is remarked : — " Those kinds which have 

 fleshy pseudo-bulbs, such as Dendrobium, 

 Epidendrum, Cattle\a, Catasetum, and 

 Odontoglossum, should be collected at the 

 end of the growing season, dried by a little 

 exposure, and then packed in light boxes in 

 dry wood shavings. Wide, shallow boxes 

 are preferable to deep boxes ; the latter, if 

 used at all, should have battens placed across 

 to support the upper layers of plants and 

 prevent the others being crushed. A few 

 holes should be bored into the sides of the 

 boxes for ventilation. They may be sent by 

 steamer and labelled, ' For cool, dry place in 

 hold.' Phalaenopsis, \'anda, Cypripcdium, 

 and all such Orchids which have no fleshy 

 stem or pseudo-bulb, should be packed in close 

 boxes or Wardian cases with damp moss or 

 soil. If possible, they should have attention 

 fluring tlie voyage. 



" 1 ubcrous rooted Orchids should be 

 gathererl at the end of the growing season, 

 and ke])t dr\' for a few days until the foliage 

 has withered. They may then be packed in a 

 wooden box in wood shavings, paper, or any 

 dry and light material. Straw and h;i_v, 

 however, are apt to become mouldy and 

 should not be used for this purpose. The 

 rhizomes, bulbs or tubers should be ])acked in 

 the box in such a manner that they cannot 

 move about, as they are very liable to perish 

 if bruised during transit. When the rhizomes 

 are small or thin, they travel best if packed in 

 slightly moistened light material, such as 

 cocoanut fibre, peat soil, sawdust, or wood 

 shavings." 



DENDROBIUM SUPERBUM. 



THIS handsome species is a native of 

 the Philippine Islands, where it was 

 discovered by Cuming during his visit 

 m 183G-1840. Plants were sent home to 

 Loddiges, of Hackney, and first flowered in 

 England in the year 1839. These were 

 described by Lindley under the name D. 

 macrophyllum, an appellation already used 

 by A. Richard for another species of the same 

 genus. In 18C1 Reichenbach rectified the 

 error by re-naming it D. superbum. 



D. superbum is elaborately figured by 

 W'arner in his " Select Orchidaceous Plants, 

 1862-5," the plant represented being one in 

 the then well-known collection of John Day, 

 of Tottenham. Warner states : — " This plant 

 bloomed last year m such beauty that one 

 could hardly imagine anything nearer perfec- 

 tion ; it was certainly one of the most finely- 

 grown plants we have seen, the pendant 

 stems being 4 feet 6 inches in length, each 

 of them bearing more than fifty of the 

 large exquisitely-tinted flowers. Mr. Day's 

 specimen was grown in a wooden basket, 

 suspended from the roof, and the long 

 l)cndulous stems, clothed with flowers, 

 hanging amongst the fronds of tree-ferns, had 

 an exceedingly good effect, the ferns 

 supplying the need of natural foliage." 



Several interesting and distinct varieties 

 are known, the best being Dearei, F.C.C., 

 R.H.S., Ajiril iith, 1882, when exhibited by 

 Lieut. -Col. Dearc, of Englefield Green. 

 PTowers pure white, faint lemon-yellow flush 

 ill the tube of the lip. Tlie variety Burkei 

 has light purjjle in the throat of the lip, while 

 in the variety Hultonii the pure white flower 

 has the throat of bright purple with slightly 

 darker vcining. Of this latter variety 

 excellent flowers come from the collection of 

 Ca])t. Robert Twiss, Birdhill, Limerick, who 

 evidcMilly grows his plant to perfection, for 

 one spike has three large blooms, all of thick 

 substance. D. su])crbuni is noted for its 

 peculiar scent, which strongly resembles that 

 of rhubarb. In some gardens we have seen 

 the ])lants labelled D. rhubarbianum, which 

 IS, of course, incorrect. 



