42 
s? 
a natural hybrid between L. and L. Boothiana. The former seems to hâve 
been quite lost sight of, but from a tracing preserved in D r Lindley s Herbarium 
it appears to be only a somewhat abnormal form of the présent species. Of 
the latter I hâve seen a flower from the type plant, and am quite satisfied 
that it also belongs here. 
Among the multitude of plants wbich hâve at different times been imported, 
several very bandsome varieties hâve appeared, which hâve received distinctive 
names. We may proceed to enumerate the principal of these varieties, togethei 
with their essential characters. 
The typical form of Laelia purpurata , the one originally described by 
Lindley, and which is far more common tban any other, has the sepals and 
petals pure white, the expanded part of the lip of a rich deep purple shade, 
veined with maroon purple, the margin and especially the apex somewhat paler, 
and the dise pale yellow, with numerous purple veins. Variations from this 
type occur chiefly in two directions, a suffusion of rosy-purple in the sepals 
and petals, and the greater or less development of purple in the lip, but these 
variations also occur in various degrees of combination. With regard to the 
sepals and petals, the following variations occur. They may be pale blush or 
nearly pure white with light rosy-lilac veins, as in the varieties Aurorea , 
M r Brooman White’s variety, Nelisii and Williamsi ; or of a somewhat deeper 
shade of rose, as in Blenheimensis and rosea; or rose-purple, as in atropurpurea , 
Lowiana , and Whiteana. With regard to the lip, the following may be noted. 
A decided area at the apex may be nearly pure white, as in the varieties 
praetexta and Whiteana , and to a less extent in Blenheimensis; or the white may 
extend over the greater part of the front lobe and the margins of the side 
lobes, as in Schroederiana. Or the purple veinings confined to the région near 
the dise in this variety may extend almost to the apex, being light purple 
in colour, and on a very pale ground, as in Russelliana, or still paler as in 
alba and pallida. The yellow of the lip may be changed to orange, as in 
M r Brooman White’s variety; or almost obliterated by a purple suffusion, as 
in Whiteana and Lowiana. Between these forms, however, ail kinds of inter- 
mediates occur, and from the very nature of the case it will be understood 
that they cannot be separated by any very sharp dividing line. In some cases 
they may be considered as individuals rather than varieties in the true sense, 
especially where a stock has been raised by the repeated subdivision of one 
original clump. R. A. Rolfe. 
(To be continued). 
Ü& 
