296 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Febbtjaby 9, 1858. 
VANDA CCEEULEA. 
Vanda ecendea, an exceedingly handsome 
speeies, with pale lilac blossoms. The 
accompanying woodcut will give some idea 
of the size of the individual flowers, of 
; which the spike on the plant exhibited bore 
j thirteen. Fine, however, as this spike cer- 
I tainly was, it was remarked that it was 
1 small compared with some that had been 
received in a dried state from India. 
“ Tliis glorious plant, perhaps the noblest 
I of the Indian race, was called Vanda cc&ni- 
\ lea by Mr. Griffith, who found it among 
' the Khasya or Cossya Hills, and sent us 
dried specimens. Its flowers are as large 
as those of Vanda teres ; and N the foliage is 
as good as that of Aerides odoratum. It 
is to be regretted that we should have no 
more exact information as to where it may 
be found; but we can hardly suppose that 
it could be missed by any plant-collector 
who might be sent after it into Sylhet. 
“ The leaves of this wonderful plant are 
five inches long by nearly one inch wide; 
at their end they are two-lobed equally, 
and each lobe is sharp-pointed, so that the 
end looks as if a piece had been struck off 
• by a circular punch. The flowers grow in 
upright spikes. A piece of a stem but four 
inches long bears four such spikes, which are 
from six to nine inches long, and carry from 
nine to twelve flowers. Each dried flower 
is between three and four inches in diameter; 
and if allowance be made for their having 
shrunk in drying, they may bo estimated 
as at least a foot in circumference. The lip 
is, as is usual among Vandas, small; it is 
barely three-quarters of an inch long, nar¬ 
row, with a short spur and a two-lobed 
point. Its surface is broken by three deep 
parallel perpendicular plates ; and the lateral 
lobes of the base are triangular and acu¬ 
minated.” 
It was thus that one of us spoke of the present plant three 
years ago. The accompanying plate is witness of its arrival, 
and of the extraordinary beauty that belongs to it. The 
colour of the flowers is of“ a rich tender lilac ; their texture is 
as delicate as that of Phalsenopsis ; and their dimensions are, 
at least, equal to what was stated in the above paragraph. 
In short, the species is a dangerous rival of Phalsenopsis 
| itself. 
Its exact residence is not known. Mr. Griffith tells us 
that it occurs near the river Borpanee, on trees of Gordonia, in 
the Pine and Oak forests of that region. It is, however, not a 
little remarkable, that his journal contains no allusion to it; 
but we find that the district produces Bauhinias, Kandia, 
Phyllaftithus emblica , and Sugar-canes, all indications of a 
Vanda cccrulea. 
tropical region. The woods are described as delightful, re¬ 
minding one of England. The elevation of the Borpanee 
above the sea is 2508 feet; the temperature 74°; the neigh¬ 
bouring vegetation Castanea (tropical species, of course), 
Ivydia, Camellia oleifera , Rhododendron punctatum (whatever 
that may be), and Cuscuta. 
The honour of having introduced this glorious plant be¬ 
longs to Messrs. Veitch, who received it from then’ invaluable 
traveller, Mr. Thomas Lobb. The accompanying figure does 
scanty justice to it: for, although it represents faithfully the 
beautiful tender blue of the flowers, it by no means equals the 
magnitude of the wild plant. We have a dried specimen 
now before us with nine flowers open at the same time.— 
Paxton's Floiver Garden. 
CULTURE OF GLORIOSA SUPERBA. 
We occasionally hear the expression of regret that many 
glorious forms of the vegetable kingdom, among which our 
present subject ranks, are not more accommodating in their 
habits, so as to be enjoyable by a greater number of admirers. 
In truth, this plant belongs to the aristocracy of plants, and 
requires subjecting to peculiar treatment to dev elope its mag¬ 
nificent inflorescence. Upon the culture of this species I now 
offer a few remarks, with the hope of lessening some of the 
difficulties which obstruct the progress of many cultivators in 
the attainment of their wishes. 
This plant was introduced as far back as 1690, from the 
eastern hemisphere; but from the great difficulty experienced 
by cultivators in its management, it has almost been among 
the lost and forgotten till within the last few years, when 
success has attended the efforts of a few of our most skilful 
modern plant cultivators. It has long, irregular tuberous 
roots, from the eyes of which growth takes place generally 
about the end of February; but can be obtained when deemed 
most desirable. They should then be potted in an admixture of 
good turfy peat, loam, and well-decayed leaf mould, with good, 
sharp silver sand, in pots capacious enough to admit of a free 
ramification of roots. Good drainage is essential, upon which 
put a thin layer of moss, and small pieces of hard, dry cow- 
dung ; filli ng the pots with the compost prepared, and plant¬ 
ing the bulbs about two inches and a half deep. The pot 
should then be plunged in a bottom heat, having a tempera¬ 
ture of 80° to 85°; and when the stem has risen a yard or 
more in length, the plant removed to a one-light frame raised 
on a good dungbed, secured by a lining of the same material, 
and the inside of the frame filled one-half in depth with the 
same fermenting matter, and paved over with slate. The plant 
being plunged at the back, the young growth should be kept 
trailed close to the slate, maintaining all the while the tempe¬ 
rature above stated at the root; and a corresponding atmo- 
