121 
CATTLEYA LABI ATA. 
(crimson-lipped cattleya). 
OH DEIl. 
MONANDRIA. 
NATURAL order. 
ORCHIDEjE. 
Generic Character. — See Vol. I. p. 151. 
Specific Character.— Plant an epiphyte. Stems not often numerous, angulated, terminated by two 
stiff leaves from six to eight inches long, dark-green on the upper surface, brownish beneath. 
Spathe large, foliacious, of a chocolate colour. Flower-stalk smooth, supporting from two to six 
flowers. Sepals linear. Petals membranaceous, broad, acute, undulated, both of a transparent 
lilac colour. Lip obovate, obtuse, undivided, undulated, colour a beautiful rich crimson. 
The superb species here represented was imported some years ago by Mr. 
William Swainson from Brazil, since which flowers have been produced in various 
collections of Orchideae in this country. The number of flowers ordinarily pro= 
duced vary from two to four, rarely six, in a cluster ; and as the plants in general 
are small, it seldom happens that more than one stem is seen in flower at once : 
however, there is an exception to this in the collection at Wentworth, where the 
finest specimens in cultivation exist ; there we have seen, on one plant, no less 
than four flowering stems, each with four large splendid flowers quite perfect at the 
same time. The exquisite delicacy and glowing splendour of this specimen when 
in its greatest perfection, at which time we saw it, defies all attempts to describe ; 
but to form an idea of its appearance, we must picture to our minds a plant pro- 
ducing four times the number of flowers, as shown in the accompanying drawing, 
all large and perfect. 
Our plant flowered in the Orchideae house at Chatsworth, last autumn, in the 
manner here represented : the flowers were large, and the colours so exquisite and 
rich, that it was absolutely impossible for the artist to reach them, either in richness 
or transparency. Dr. Lindley very justly speaks of the species thus: "It is not merely 
the large size of the flowers, and the deep rich crimson of one petal contrasted 
with the delicate lilac of the others, that constitute the loveliness of this plant ; it 
owes its beauty in almost an equal degree to the transparency of its texture, and 
VOL. IV.— NO. XLII. R 
CLASS. 
CYNANDRIA. 
