MYANTHUS FIMBRIATUS. 
281 
Myanthus Jimbriatus. 
periodical, the Annales de la Botaydque cle 
Gand : — 
" This beautiful plant particularly graced 
the horticultural exhibition held at Brussels 
in September 1848. The judges considered 
it so superior to all the others among the 
innumerable fine orchids brought forward — so 
elegant in itself, that instead of awarding to it 
the silver-gilt medal as offered in the sche- 
dule, they made an extra award of a gold 
medal. Dui-ing the three days of the exhi- 
bition, more than 100,000 persons were de- 
lighted with this strange and admirable plant, 
wiiich filled the room with its odour." 
The intelligent owner and cultivator of this 
remarkable production was IM. Legralle- 
DTIavres of Anvers, a gentleman who, toge- 
ther with his hady, has long been known as 
among the most distinguished promoters of 
horticulture iu Belgium. 
Some months after the exhibition above 
alluded to, "the same species flowered with 
the Chevalier Heynderycx, president of the 
Society of Ghent ; but while the flowers of 
M. Legralle's plant were white and green, 
those on the Chevalier Heynderycx's were of 
a rose and yellow colour. It is known that 
the Catasetums, from which the Myanthi are 
separated, are capable of important polymorph- 
isms, since we frequently see strange meta- 
morphoses of form among them. In the pre- 
sent instance, however, it was a change of 
colour ; but as we have preserved specimens 
in spirits of the flower of the plant which was 
exhibited, and also of that belonging to the 
Chevalier Heynderyncx, we have no manner 
of doubt but that they are one and the same 
species ; only we propose to call the one — the 
green and white — Legrelles variety; and the 
other — the rose — Heynderycx^s variety." 
We have no information respecting the 
native country of this species, nor any histo- 
rical particulars respecting its introduction to 
Europe. 
" The culture of the genus Myanthus is 
similar to that of most tropical orchids. It is 
found to succeed in a pot, not suspended, but 
placed in a stove. The pot should be well 
drained with coke, which allows free aeration 
underneath, and facilitates the rapid running 
off of the water, when that element is supplied 
to it in the usual way. The soil should con- 
sist of turfy peat and sphagnum moss, freely 
mixed with broken pots. In such a mixture 
the Myanthus is found to thrive well ; it pro- 
duces its magnificent spikes in the autumn, 
and at the time of flowering it must be 
copiously watered." 
