412 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 17, 1883. 
scarlet colour, E. vitellinum majus being unquestionably the most 
handsome, especially when as well grown as the plant so admir¬ 
ably represented in the first number of Mr. B. S. Williams’ 
“Orchid Album,” which has three spikes, one with fourteen 
flowers. The species was first made known to botanists by a 
specimen in Mr. Lambert’s herbarium, but the reputedly first 
living specimen which produced flowers in this country was one 
in Mr. G. Barker’s collection at Birmingham in 1839. Hartweg 
found it in Mexico on the Cumbre of Tetontepegue at an elevation 
of 9000 feet, which will account for the low temperature it needs 
under cultivation. It is also found in Oxaca, growiug on Oaks 
at G000 feet elevation, and in Guatemala “ on cloud-capped 
mountains in continual mists in the region of Lichens and 
Jungermannias.” 
Several species are much alike in habit, producing stems 3 or 
4 or even 6 or 8 feet high, clothed with tapering leaves, and 
bearing large dense terminal panicles or racemes of flowers. 
These include the following, all of which are best grown in the 
Mexican house, and which constitute a handsome group in the 
genus. 
E. evectum .—This has been long grown at Kew, and a large 
plant at one end of the cooler Orchid house is a familiar occupant, 
flowering frequently, though it is so high above the path that its 
flowers cannot bo seen to the best advantage. It is thought to 
have been introduced by Purdie from New Grenadan mountains, 
but there is no actual record of this. The sepals and petals are 
ovate, rich purplish crimson, with a deeply fringed lip, and the 
flowers are borne in a dense terminal raceme. 
E. syringothyrsus .—Another of the above type, a Bolivian 
species found at Sorata 7 to 8000 feet above the level of the sea, 
and introduced by Messrs. Veitch & Sons through Mr. Pearce. 
It is a very handsome plant, with individually small rich purple 
flowers, which are, however, produced in a very dense spike, the 
purple being relieved by the white lip and yellow prominences in 
the centre. 
E. cnemidophorum .—Also of similar habit to the preceding, and 
very attractive though less beautiful than some of them. It has 
drooping panicles from the apex of the stem, the flowers being 
pale yellow on the under surface, darker yellow above, mottled 
with reddish brown and having a warm rosy lip—a curious com¬ 
bination of tints. Mr. Bateman has stated that Mr. Skinner en¬ 
deavoured repeatedly to introduce this plant without success, and 
until in 1844 a good batch was obtained, some being sold at 
Stevens’s rooms, and the remainder distributed amongst Mr. 
Skinner’s friends. One of these was sent to Sir Phillip Egerton, 
and this progressed so well, that when shown at Kensington in 
18G7 it was awarded a first-class certificate. It is a native of 
Guatemala at 7000 feet elevation, and is said to be cultivated 
in the convent gardens there. 
E. rhizophorum .—This deserves a word of praise, for though 
not usually seen in the best condition it can be satisfactorily 
grown, and is then one of the finest. The flowers are small, but 
are produced in close spikes, the colour very strikingly resem¬ 
bling that of E. vitellinum—viz., a bright orange scarlet. 
E. Cooperianum .— Is a peculiar species with a drooping ter¬ 
minal spike of flowers, the sepals and petals narrow and greenish 
yellow ; the lip bright rose-coloured and three-lobed. It is a 
Brazilian plant, and was first shown at Kensington by Mr. Cooper, 
Alpha House, Old Kent Road, in 18GG. 
Quite distinct fr-un the preceding is E. eburneum, which has 
narrow greenish yellow sepals and petals, with an ivory white 
heart-shaped lip 1£ inch broad. This has its flowers in a terminal 
spike, but looser and smaller, though the flowers are much larger 
than the others. It is a native of Panama, where it has been 
found in swampy districts, and was obtained by T. R. Tuffnell, 
Esq., Spring Grove, Isleworth. 
In the figure (page 411), a species is represented that is now 
comparatively little known, though not one of the least handsome. 
It will serve to illustrate the pseudo-bulbous type of Epidendrums, 
which are very distinct from those that have just been described. 
The pseudo-bulbs are a few inches high, irregularly egg-shaped, 
with long narrow tapering leaves proceeding from the apex, and 
between these arises the spike of ten or twelve brownish yellow 
flowers, the petals being blotched with chocolate, the lip white 
veined with purple. This, like many others of the section, requires 
rather higher temperature than the stem-producing forms. Asa 
curiosity the Iris-like species E. equitans deserves notice, and 
this is also of some value, for even when not in flower its bright 
green tufted foliage, which so much resembles a miniature German 
Iris, has a very pleasing appearance in the Orchid house. Another 
notable species, E. cochleatum, which has a perpendicular lip, 
like one side of a bivalve shell with the broad end uppermost, is 
said to be the first member of the genus which flowered in Great 
Britain. It is not common, but flowers frequently at Kew. 
In connection with the propagation of Epidendrums it may be 
mentioned that several species, like some other Orchids, produce 
young plants upon their flower stalks. This is especially the case 
with the E. evectum group, in which the panicle is a direct pro¬ 
longation of the stem, and at the nodes of which between the 
uppermost leaves and the flowers young shoots occasionally 
appear similar to the side shoots on some Dendrobes, and furnished 
with rootlets. When these have somewhat advanced they can be 
removed and potted, and will soon become established with 
ordinary care.—L. Castle. 
PRIMULA SCOTICA AND ERYTHRONIUM 
GRANDIFLORUM. 
The illustrations of these plants in flower, which have recently 
appeared in the Journal of Horticulture, deserve remark. I have 
never before known P. scotica allow itself to be coaxed by culti¬ 
vation beyond the normal size—about 3 inches high, with flowers 
not more than a quarter of an inch in diameter. I have frequently 
raised the plant from seed, and have twice received consignments 
from one of the native habitats in the Orkneys, but have never 
obtained better results than I have mentioned above. Still, I 
know that some Primroses, notably P. rosea, may by selection of 
seed from the largest flowers and careful attention to circum¬ 
stances of cultivation be raised to three or four times the normal 
size, and it would be interesting to know the conditions under 
which P. scotica has been in such a way magnified quite out of 
itself. 
The other plant, E. grandiflorum, I feel sure is the same as I 
bought at Mr. Ware’s three years ago as E. purpureum. It has 
flowered every year in a peat bed, but this year for the first time 
has produced two pairs of leaves and two flower stalks, one of 
which is 9 inches high and bears six fine flowers. The leaves are 
more beautiful than the flowers, being glossy black veined with 
bright green, imitating on a large scale the handsomest forms of 
Orchis mascula. I have tried importing this bulb from America, 
but I find it to be formed of so brittle a shell—as brittle, in fact, 
as the shell of a wren’s egg, that they always come broken and 
never grow. The greatest care, therefore, is necessary in planting 
the bulb when it can be obtained sound.—C. WOLLEY Dod, 
Llandudno. 
[Our artist rendered the scape somewhat too long in the figure 
of P. scotica, otherwise it is a truthful representative of a strong 
plant grown in the south of England. Erythromum purpureum 
is quite distinct from E. grandiflorum, the former having a distinct 
tinge of purple which the latter does not possess. Our plant was 
the true E. grandiflorum, which has creamy white flowers.] 
ROYAL BOTANIC SOCIETY. 
May 16th. 
The first summer Show of the year was as usual very beautiful, 
and though the competition in some of the classes was not so keen as 
on some previous occasions, the large marquee appeared quite full, 
and the banks of Azaleas, Clematises, Roses, and stove and green¬ 
house plants had a magnificent effect. Large numbers of new plants 
were shown and certificated, but these must be described on another 
occasion. The weather proved exceptionally fine, and a large number 
of visitors assembled during the afternoon. 
Orchids. —A handsome bank of Orchids was one of the features of 
the Show, the plants being mostly large and profusely flowered. The 
best amateurs’ twelve was staged by Mr. Salter, gardener to J. South- 
gate, Esq., Selborne, Streatham, and included Dendrobium thyrsi- 
fiorum, six spikes, D. Wardianum with twelve growths well flowered, 
D. Jamesianum, Oncidium concolor, seven spikes, Odontoglossum 
citrosmum, Vanda suavis, Dendrobium nobile, 4 feet through, a 
mass of flowers, Cattleya Warneri,MasdevalliaLindeni, and Ccelogyne 
elata. There was no other entry in the amateurs’ class. Mr. H. 
James, Castle Nursery, Lower Norwood, took the lead in the nursery¬ 
men’s class with a good collection, Cypripedium Stonei having five 
spikes, Burlingtonia fragrans, Laelia purpurata, Dendrobium Jamesi¬ 
anum, and D. fimbriatum oculatum being the best. Messrs. Jackson 
and Son, Kingston, followed, their plants including a specimen of 
Schomburgkia tibicinis in flower ; Oncidium ampliatum majus, Masde 
vallia Lindeni, Odontoglossum cirrhosum, and Saccolabium guttatum 
were the other best plants. It is regretable that the competition was 
so limited in these classes, as usually they are well filled. 
Stove and Greenhouse Plants. —Several beautiful collections of 
these were staged, the quality being all that could be desired in the 
leading exhibits. Messrs. Jackson & Son were first with twelve Eiica 
Webbiana, E. Cavendishiana, Hedaroma fuchsioides, Aphelexis ma- 
crantha rosea, Hedaroma tulipifera, and Erica Lindleyana being most 
