166 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
HOTHOUSE DEPARTMENT. 
EXOTIC ORCHIDACE.E. 
PLANTS THAT WILL THRIVE WELL IN POTS. 
Burlingtonia rigida (Stiff-stemmed B.); Brazil.— 
! Blowers purplish white, with streaks of pink. A very 
beautiful plant, hut somewhat difficult to flower. -31s. 6d. 
Culture. —The best way to grow this plant is to place 
it in the middle of a large pan, well drained, in a mix¬ 
ture of chopped sphagnum, very turfy peat, pieces of 
charcoal, and broken potsherds. It flourishes in the 
hot humid forests of Brazil, shaded from the sun, on 
branches of trees, where it can obtain no nourishment 
hut the moisture arising from the humid atmosphere 
whilst it is growing. To imitate this, place the pan 
containing the plant in a shady part of the Indian 
house, and when growing freely during the spring and 
summer months, syringe it abundantly every day with 
such a fine-rosed syringe as to make the water fall upon 
it like dew. As the shoots grow bring them gently (for 
they are very brittle) down to the level of the pan, and 
pin them down with hooked pegs. Continue this till the 
surface of the pan is covered all over with shoots, and 
even then keep pegging them down, tier upon tier; 
they will then become strong and healthy. As the 
autumn and winter months progress, give the plant less 
water and less heat, thus inducing a state of rest. 
Calanthe masuca (Masuca is the Indian name) ; 
Nepaul.—Sepals lilac inside, and whitish outside; petals 
the same colour inside and brownish outside; lip heart 
shaped, and of a beautiful violet purple. The flowers 
are produced on a spike eighteen inches high, and are 
large aud numerous. It is a very handsome species, 
and continues a long time in bloom. As the flowers die 
they change their colours to a beautiful coppery hue. 
Very desirable and easily cultivated. 63s. 
C. vestita (Clothed C.); Java.—Sepals aud petals 
pure white; lip pure white also, with a deep rose- 
coloured spot in the centre. This species has large 
whitish pseudo-bulbs, from the base of which, when 
strong, the flower-stem rises to the height of 18 inches. 
It then curves gracefully, producing eight or ten of 
its truly beautiful flowers, which appear at a time 
(December) when flowers are scarce. 63s. There is a 
variety with a yellow spot in the centre, which is not so 
handsome. 
C. veratrifolia (Veratrum-leaved C.) ; Java and 
Manilla.—The whole flower is of the purest white. 
Though an old species—introduced from the East Indies 
in 1819—and now pretty common, yet everybody that 
has the means ought to grow it, not only because it is 
very beautiful, but because it lasts a long time in flower, 
and is moderately cheap. It will thrive very well even 
in a common stove, with ordinary care. It may be 
grown to a great size, and is useful then as an exhibition 
plant. Our readers may remember that in The Cottage 
Gardener reports of one of the exhibitions at Chiswick 
and the Regent’s Park, plants of this species were 
described with 12 and 14 stems of their beautiful flowers 
to each plant; aud any one may grow them to that size 
with very moderate means, and the ordinary attention of 
repotting into larger pots as the plants increase in size. 
10s. 6d. 
Culture. —These fine plants being all terrestrial orchids 
require the same treatment in regard to soil as the genus 
Bletia; but as they are, with the exception of C. vestita, 
evergreen, they must be kept constantly moist at the 
root, but in a less degree in winter than summer; and, 
also, as they are natives of India, they must be kept 
warmer in the summer than Bletias. C. vestita 
should have a different treatment. It has pseudo-bulhs, 
and, therefore, should have no water given to it after 
Christmas till it begins to grow in March. It may then 
[December 12. 
be repotted into fresh compost, and be watered in the 
usual way. 
Catasetum —A large genus of plants with flowers of j 
the most grotesque shapes, and, what is still more won- j 
derful, they sport one into another, so that this year the : 
plant will produce flowers proper to its described species, I 
and next year it may produce flowers belonging to a | 
widely different species, perhaps even an allied genus, 
such for instance as Monachantlius viridis, which is I 
sometimes seen growing on Catasetum tridentatum. 
Where there is a house large enough to afford room 
amongst better things, it is desirable to grow a few of 
the handsomest Catasetum s, such as those we will now 
particularize. 
C. barbatum (Bearded C.), called by some Myantlius 
barbatus ; Demerara.—Sepals and petals green, spotted 
with purple; lip pink or green, with a delicate fringe 
surrounding the edge. 31s. 6d. 
C. deltoideum (Triangular-lipped C.), or Myantlius 
deltoideum; Demerara.—Sepals, petals, and lip are of a 
dark greenish purple, marked with stripes and spots of 
dark brown. The lip being of a triangular shape, at 
once distinguishes the species. It is a really curious 
plant, worth growing. 42s. 
C. integerrimum (Entire-lipped C.); Guatimala.— 
Sepals and petals of a purplish colour, spotted with 
brown; the lip has the inside yellow richly blotched 
with purple. The flowers have a powerful scent, like 
Stanhopea graveolens. The leaves are large, measuring 
four inches across, and a foot long. 42s. 
C. INTEGERRIMUM, Var . INTERMEDIA VARIEGATA. -This 
is a pretty variety from Brazil, with the sepals and petals 
of a rich lilac purple; the lip is white, with yellow 
centre ; lamella; or plates on the lip are red, whilst on the 
C. integerrimum they are white. A very rare plant; not 
on sale. 
C. laminatum (Plated C.); Mexico.—The flowers are 
large and greenish, spotted with purple; lip white, with 
a broad plate rising up in the centre, running along the 
centre to the end. There is a variety with the whole 
flower spotted with dark purple. A beautiful species, 
but very rare. 84s. 
C. longifolium (Long-leaved C.); Demerara.—The 
whole of the flowers are of a bright orange, slightly 
bordered with violet, on a curving raceme thickly set 
with blooms, and frequently a foot long. A very fine 
species, perhaps the finest of the genus. It is very 
scarce. 105s. 
C. naso (Trunk-flowered C.), or Myantlius naso; Car- 
raccas.—Sepals and petals nearly white, tinged a little 
with greenish yellow, thickly spotted with rich crimson 
purple; the lip is lengthened out in a most extraordinary 
way so as to appear something like an elephant’s trunk. 
Curious and handsome. 31s. (id. 
0. saccatum (Bagged-lipped C.), or Myantlius sae- 
catus ; Demerara.—Sepals and petals pale yellow, spotted 
with rich purple ; lip bright yellow, thickly spotted with 
crimson dots. The form of this part of the flower is the 
most extraordinary of this most singular formed genus, 
the middle of it being swollen out underneath, and on 
the upper side there is a narrow opening which leads 
into the swollen part, forming a conical chamber or bag, 
whence its specific name. A species well worth growing, 
for the flowers are very large, curious, and handsome. 
Scarce. 63s. 
C. tridentatum (Three-toothed C.); various parts of 
S. America.—This is the commonest of the whole genus, 
and sports frequently into all kinds of monstrosities, on 
which account alone it is worth cidtivating. There are 
several varieties named C. Claveringii, C. Jloribundum, 
C. macrocarpum, and C. Wailesii, all of which are liable 
to sport into each other. The prevailing colours are 
yellow, yellowish-green, and brown. Sometimes they 
come all green, especially C. floribundum. 10s. 6d. 
