34 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[ March, 
tion of a familiar acquaintance with these singular 
plants. Tho stems, leaves, and roots, the pseudo¬ 
bulbs and tubercules, the individual flowers and 
collective inflorescence, the sepals, petals, and la- 
bellum, the column pollen-masses and stigmatic 
cavity, and the dehiscent fruits of various form, in¬ 
cluding the lengthened pods of vanilla, are all fully 
and clearly explained, and illustrated by a series of 
excellent woodcuts, which perhaps do more than 
even the lucid text towards giving the reader a 
clear apprehension of the nature of the several 
organs. To this follows a sketch of the botanical 
classification, in which the several tribes are charac¬ 
terised, and the cultivated genera included in each 
are mentioned. The remainder of this interesting 
chapter is devoted to the question of the variability 
of the species; their hybridism, natural and artificial, 
and to the curious phenomena of dimorphism and 
polymorphism. It is observed that M. Eoezl has 
discovered, in Mexico, a double-flowered Odonto- 
glossum, and this gives an opportunity to speculate on 
the possibility at some future day of double-flowered 
orchids coming into fashion, to the exclusion of the 
single forms, which are now considered so charmingly 
grotesque. The curious subject of dimorphism is 
illustrated by the case of Vanda Loivii, which is 
compared with that of Cytisus Adami, being re¬ 
garded as another example of incomplete hybridi¬ 
sation, in which the dissociation of the forms 
have an inexplicable constancy. Another case 
mentioned is the dimorphism of the Catasetv/m, 
the evidence of wdiich is as follows :—A culti¬ 
vated plant of Monachanthus viridis, after bear¬ 
ing a spike of normal flowers, produced, two 
months later, a spike of Caiasetmn tridentatum; 
while Schomburgk discovered in Guiana a plant of 
Monachanthus viridis on which was a flower-spike 
bearing six blossoms of the Monachanthus, and two 
of Myanthus barbatus. These, and other observed 
facts of a similar character 1 , have served to show that 
the supposed distinct genera, Monachanthus and 
Myanthus, are but variations—erratic and unac¬ 
countable—of the original Catasetum. Again, in 
the genus Cycnoches, a similar case of dimorphism 
has been observed, one pseudobulb having borne 
two stalks, one of which produced the vanilla- 
scented flowers of Cycnoches Loddigesii, the other the 
scentless flowers of 0. cucullatum. Similar pheno¬ 
mena have been observed in the genera Vanda, 
Ionopsis, Oncidium, and Odontoglossum. Taking 
into account the many vagaries of this kind which 
have been observed in the various organs of orchids, 
the author throws out the idea that this family is of 
recent creation, and has possibly not yet acquired 
fixity of character. 
Chapter 3 relates to the geographical distribution 
of the natural order, which is important to the 
orchid-grower, from the cultural point of view, and 
which is noticed in considerable detail under several 
sub-heads. 
Chapter 4 is devoted to studies of climatology, 
and closes with some judicious remarks on the im¬ 
portance of observing and being guided by natural 
conditions. It is, remarks the author, a law of 
nature that every plant is organised to live in a 
given climate, and that if it is transported to 
another notably different it undergoes sensible 
modifications in its development; and these increase, 
as the conditions depart further from the mean, 
until the original character becomes lost. It results 
from this, that if we wish to cultivate a plant be¬ 
longing to a climate other than ours, we ought, by 
suitable means, to supply it with the equivalent of 
air, light, heat, moisture, and assimilable food which 
it finds under its native sky, as nearly as we can do 
so. The means which are at our disposal to accom¬ 
plish this leave yet, and probably always will leave, 
much to be desired. We are able to create an arti¬ 
ficial soil and modify its composition according to 
the presumed wants of the plants; we are able to 
distribute the requisite moisture to the roots, and to 
vaporise it so as to moisten the atmosphere, at least 
in our closed houses; we produce the necessary heat 
without difficulty; but the air, and especially the 
light, are elements whose regulation is beyond our 
control. The air is not always pure and wholesome, 
especially in towns, and a vitiated atmosphere is 
even more injurious to plants than to man, espe¬ 
cially to mountain plants; the exterior air is also 
almost always too dry for Orchids. As to the light, 
we have on the one hand nothing to make up for 
the deficiency of that supplied by the sun which 
we experience during at least three months of 
the winter season ; nor on the other, is it by any 
means easy to moderate justly that which he gives 
us in excess during the long days of summer. Thus, 
when we are told that to cultivate well, we must in 
all things and all w r ays imitate Nature, while we are 
compelled to recognise the excellence of the precept, 
we must also admit the impossibility of its exact appli¬ 
cation. The plants must accommodate themselves 
to the conditions we have to give, and do without 
the rest. 
Chapter 5 refers to the collecting of the plants in 
their native countries, and their treatment in our 
hot-houses when newly imported, which is a very 
critical period, as they often reach Europe in a most 
exhausted condition. The plants, says M. dc Puydt, 
should be unpacked away from the orchid-house, so 
that we may not unwittingly bring in any fresh exotic 
insect enemies which may have insinuated themselves 
amongst the packing materials. They should first be 
cleared of all rotten and withered parts—leaves, 
roots, &c.—the dead stems, rhizomes, or pseudo¬ 
bulbs being cut neatly off up to the living parts, and 
the remaining portions should be afterwards washed 
with clean tepid water, carefully avoiding to damage 
the reproductive buds or to break the living roots. 
This washing not only secures neatness, but aids the 
respiration of the plants, and clears them of para¬ 
sites. They are then to be placed in a house or pit, 
the heat of which is rather below than above that 
necessary for their normal growth, and there spread 
out on a thin bed of dry moss, being shaded if 
necessary. These first stages require patience; 
they must come gradually out of this forced repose, 
and produce their buds and roots. To hasten this 
result by over-excitement would ruin all. After a 
few days—more or less, according as the plants may 
have arrived in a sound or damaged condition—they 
may be lightly syringed, and the syringing, together 
with air, light, and heat, may be increased in the 
case of those which begin to grow, when they may 
be subjected to the normal conditions, except that 
the waterings must always be moderate until they 
are sufficiently provided with new roots. 
Chapter 6 is devoted to a description of the struc¬ 
tures in which the culture of the plants is carried 
on, the mode of heating, and such cultural matters 
as soils, composts, and manures. In refei'ence to 
the latter, M. de Puydt remarks that orchids, even 
epiphytes, do not depart from the general plan of 
Nature, but take nourishment like other plants ; 
w r hen, therefore, the assimilable matters within 
their reach are insufficient, it must be possible and 
essential to supply them artificially. The distribu¬ 
tion of the various genera in the houses appropriated 
to them, according to the temperature to be main¬ 
tained, is discussed at length ; and here the treat¬ 
ment of cool-house orchids comes in for its due share 
