February 21, 1891, 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
397 
used to be very plentiful and widely distributed in 
cottage gardens in the far north, growing and flowering 
profusely without any special culture whatever beyond 
that given to other hardy border flowers. The double 
form of this is, and has always been, a very scarce 
plant, but why so it is difficult to conceive, as it grows 
vigorously, and can be propagated freely by division 
under the same conditions favourable to the welfare of 
other kinds. A. H. Barlowi is a single mauve or light 
reddish purple variety, and alongside of it may be 
placed the pale lilac A. H. lilacina. 
The red varieties constitute a distinct group from the 
blue and lilac sorts above mentioned, and are equally 
ornamental when grown in large pieces. The variety 
A. H. rubra has red flowers of a pleasing shade, as if 
pink were infused through it. Its double form, A. H. 
r. plena, is certainly one of the best, and ranks alongside 
of the double blue as pre-eminently worthy of culti¬ 
vation. Both the double forms last much longer in 
bloom than the single ones, on account of their solidity 
and less liability of being injured by heavy rains. The 
narrow, closely overlapping segments are so neat that 
the flowers are not only conspicuous from a distance, 
but will bear the closest inspection. There is a dark 
variety named A. H. splendens with crimson flowers, 
but it is by no means common ; and a pile form named 
A. H. carnea with flesh-coloured flowers. 
The white varieties are very choice in their way, but 
being single they are liable to be soiled much sooner 
than the other kinds, if the weather happens to be 
splashy and unfavourable to them when they come into 
bloom. A. II. alba has white sepals and filaments, 
but the anthers are red or pink, rendering the flowers 
ad litionally pretty. Ou the contrary, A. H. nivea is 
pure white, anthers and all. 
The only other species known to science is A. 
augulosa, which is larger in all its parts than A. 
Ilepatica. The flowers are about 2 ins. in diameter, 
and of a bright sky-blue. The leaves are large, and 
five-lobed, with long petioles. The mass of white 
anthers surrounding the yellow styles is beautifully 
shown off by contrast with the sky-blue of the petals. 
This species succeeds under the same conditions 
as the common one, and snoald be much more 
extensively cultivated than it is at present. Any or 
all of the kinds above mentioned are very appropriate 
subjects for rockwork, and suitable positions might 
always be obtained for them where the rockery is of 
g,ny extent. 
-- 
LAOHENALIAS. 
There are some thirty species of Lachenalia, all natives 
of South Africa. Comparatively few of them are much 
cultivated outside of botanic gardens, notwithstanding 
that most of them have been introduced at one time or 
other. At present L. tricolor continues to receive the 
greatest amount of attention, and it is certainly a 
very pretty subject; but there are others of equally 
strong growth and more refined in appearance. A 
garden hybrid named L. Nelsoni has now had sufficient 
time to increase and get disseminated throughout the 
country amongst the flower-loving public, yet it has 
not made great headway. The flowers are golden 
yellow, of large size, and arranged in long racemes. 
The leaves are of good size, and assume a drooping or 
spreading habit, while the flower scapes, about 1 ft. 
in length, stand clear above them. 
L. tricolor itself has bright green, red, and yellow 
flowers when fully expanded, but while yet in a half- 
opened state they exhibit a considerable amount of red 
or orange. The yellow variety of it, L. t. lutea, is 
very choice, with a clear yellow perianth. The flower 
stems vary considerably in vigour and height, according 
to treatment, and the foliage is also good. Some growers 
consider that L. pendula is the largest and showiest- 
flowered species in cultivation. The flowers may be larger 
than those of any other species, but there are fewer of 
them on a raceme, and consequently the effect is less 
striking than it would otherwise be. The perianth is 
red at the base, yellow in the middle, and purple 
upwards. The above constitute all that are cultivated 
to any extent outside of botanic gardens in this country, 
but L. orchioides is a species that might well be added 
to the list on account of the great variety of colouring 
to be found amongst different individuals of imported 
bulbs. The flowers may be pale yellow, red, blue or 
white ; they are also more decidedly erect in their 
arrangement on the scape. 
The most serviceable way in which Lachenalias may 
be grown is in pots, pans or baskets, according to the 
purposes for which they are intended. As the bulbs 
commence to grow early upon the return of the cooler 
and moister days of autumn, the best plan is to re-pot 
them about the beginning of August. Most of the 
bulbs, even to moderately small ones, will produce 
flowers the ensuing season ; but to ensure even growth 
in either pots, pans or baskets, the whole stock should 
be turned out and jsorted into sizes before re-potting is 
commenced. 
Make up a compost of two parts of good fibrous mellow 
loam, and one of leaf-soil and well-rotted and 
pulverised cow manure, with a liberal amount of sand 
to maintain the porosity of the mixture. Drain the 
pots well to ensure the escape of superfluous moisture. 
It is necessary to be thus careful, as no further potting 
is necessary till the operation is repeated next year. 
If pots are used, those of 5 ins. or 6 ins. in diameter 
will be most convenient. Into these put six to eight 
full-grown bulbs, while a greater number of small ones 
may be used for those sizes. Overcrowding should, 
however, be avoided, as upon the development of the 
foliage will depend the size and value of the bulbs for 
next year’s work. 
When the operation is completed, the pots, pans or 
baskets may be taken to a frame or pit from which 
frost is merely excluded. The wire baskets, if any are 
used, should be elevated on inverted pots or something 
to keep them dry, arranging them along the top of 
the frame, so that they may be close to the glass. The 
same applies to pots and pans, with the exception that 
they should be stood on a cool bottom of ashes in the 
shallower part of the frame. Should the soil be dry 
at potting time, a good watering may then be given to 
settle it. No more moisture will be required till the 
leaves are fairly well advanced. Give free ventilation 
on all favourable occasions, as the foliage and flower 
scapes otherwise get drawn by being grown in a close 
and confined atmosphere. Provided some of the plants 
are required to be in bloom early, batches may be 
removed to a slightly warmer house, and placed on the 
shelves near the glass. Biskets may, of course, be at 
once suspended from the roof. Do not on any pretence 
attempt hard forcing, as Lachenalias dislike it. 
-- 
ORCHID NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 
The Orchid Growers’ Calendar. 
The roller blinds which were taken down and stored 
away in the autumn will now soon be needed again, 
therefore, as early as opportunity occurs, they should 
be refixed, so as to be ready whenever they are required. 
Where no box or other means of protection exists, into 
which the blinds run when not used for shading, it is a 
good plan to have them taken down in autumn and 
refixed in early spring. This is a very simple affair, 
the top of the blind being merely nailed to a stout 
lath the length of the house, and which can be screwed 
to the top of the rafters in a very short time. Rods of 
iron or stout laths, raised 6 ins. or 8 ins. above the 
rafters and running parallel therewith, are in general 
use, and these keep the roller and blind raised 
sufficiently high above the roof-glass to allow a free 
current of air to reach the glass, and to play between 
the glass and the blind. 
Positions in which houses are situated vary so much 
that what would be a benefit in one case would be 
quite unnecessary in another. Unless the cool house 
faces north, it will be the first to want shade during 
bright sunshine for two or three hours per day, not 
perhaps because there is any fear of the foliage being 
damaged, but sometimes to keep down the temperature. 
It frequently happens in February and March that we 
have bright sunshine, accompanied by biting cold east 
winds, and if no shading is used the houses become so 
hot that it is necessary to admit this raw, cold air to 
keep down the temperature, whereas the shading might 
be used instead to prevent any undue rise, thus making 
the admission of large volumes of air unnecessary. 
The Phaisenopses will need shading henceforth, and 
newly-imported and semi-established plants, which 
may occupy space in any of the houses, will be all the 
better suited if in shady positions until they get better 
used to their new homes.—IF. P. 
Dipodium paludosum. 
Amongst the more recent introductions of Orchids this 
may be placed. At first sight it reminds one of a 
small-flowered Ansellia, as far as the individual flowers 
are concerned, but the stems, leaves, and botanical 
characters are, of course, different. The stem is 
slender, erect, and throws out numerous roots indicating 
the moistness of the atmosphere of the localities in 
which it grows. It is a native of Malacca, Borneo, and 
Cochin China. It was at first named Wailesia paludosa 
by Reichenbach, but that genus was afterwards sunk in 
Dipodium. The sepals and petals are creamy white, 
spotted with purple, and the lip has some heavier 
streaks of the latter colour. A plant of this species 
was flowered last year in the Victoria and Paradise 
Nurseries, it is believed for the first time in Europe. 
There is a figure of it in the Orchid Album, pi. 422. 
Mormodes lineatum. 
This species is a native of Guatemala, from whence it 
was introduced in 1836, and is amongst the smallest 
species in cultivation. The leaves are deciduous as in 
the case of the Catasetums, so that the flowers are 
unaccompanied by foliage, seeing that the plant flowers 
in winter. The sepals and petals are oblong, revolute 
at the sides, and greenish yellow, striated and spotted 
with brown along the veins. The lip is deeply three 
lobed, with widely diverging segments, white, and 
faintly spotted with purple except at the base which 
is yellow. The column is curiously twisted as in other 
species of the genu<>, and is generally clasped by the 
tip of the twisted middle segment of the labellum. On 
the whole the plant may be described as pretty and 
interesting, although not showy, but as it takes up 
only a smill amount of space, it may be hung up 
near the glass, where it will add to the variety and 
interest of a collection during winter. 
ODDNTOGLOSSUM GU-LEOTTIANUM. 
The above Orchid has been known to science since 1814 ; 
but not till 1870 was it introduced to this country in a 
living state. Even now it is a scarce plant, and finds 
its way into this country in batches of 0. Cervantesii, 
but is not known to form bitches of itself in Mexico, 
from whence it comes, although this may ultimately 
be discovered to be the case. In the form of its flowers 
it presents a close affinity with 0. nebulosum ami 0. 
Cervantesii, both of which come from Mexico. From 
these facts the late Professor Reichenbach believed or 
suggested the possibility of its being a hybrid. The 
sepals and petals are white, maiked with magenta- 
purple at the base ; the lip also is white, with 
yellow streaks on the crest. One of its strongest 
features, botanically, is the presence of subulate 
acuminate wings to the column. The wings on the 
column of 0. Cervantesii are roundel and blunt, while 
the column of 0. nebulosum is wingless. There is a 
coloured illustration of 0. Galleottianum in the Orchid 
Album, pi. 423. 
Cattleyas from Arddarroch. 
The Cattleyas now in season are the numerous and 
beiutiful varieties of C. labiata Trianse, of which we 
have received a boxful from Mr. J. Brown, gardener to 
R. B. White, E-q., Arddarroch, Gareloch Head, N.B. 
Amongst them was a richly coloured variety, charac¬ 
terised by the intense colouring of the terminal lobe of 
the lip. Another corresponded very closely to Baroness 
Schroder’s variety in the blush colour suffused with 
white on all parts of the flower. The lip was of large 
sizp, beautifully undulated at the margin, and darker 
there, with a pale orange blotch in the throat. One 
pale-coloured variety was notable for the enormous size 
of the petals, which were of a faint blush hue, and 
roundly ovate ; the sepals on the other hand were 
white. Accompanying the above was C. 1. Triame alba, 
having pure white flowers, with the exception of a pale 
rosy blotch in front of a paler yellow one in the throat 
of the lip. The flower itself was of good size, but the 
petals were thinner in substance than the grand sorts 
already mentioned. The flower of a form of Lielia 
anceps sent us exhibited great firmness of texture, and 
was pure white, with the exception of some bright 
purple lines on the side lobes of the lip internally. On 
the contrary, a variety of Dendrobium nobile was con¬ 
spicuous for the deep r eddish purple of the upper half 
of the sepals and petals. On the whole the flowers 
exhibited great excellence and testified to good culti¬ 
vation. 
Dendrobium crassinodi-Wardianum. 
Two or more varieties have appeared amongst impor¬ 
tations of D. crassinode, differing solely in the colour of 
the flowers. The above can hardly be termed a variety, 
seeing that it is intermediate between D. crassinode 
and D. Wardianum. A young piece of it is now 
flowering in the collection at Devonhurst, Chisvick. 
It differs slightly from that originally described, 
inasmuch as the stems approximate to that of D. 
Wardianum in shape and stoutness. In the original 
the internodes were more elongated and less stout than 
those of D. crassinode, a character, however, that may 
