January 20, 1894. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
323 
ORCHID NOTES AND GLEANINGS, 
By John Fraser, F.L.S., Kew. 
Neuwiedia Lindleyi. 
To those who take an interest in showy Orchids 
only, this will offer but little that is engaging, since 
when at its best it presents the appearance of an 
Asphodeline, or some similar Liliaceous plant, while 
the flowers are still in bud, for they do not seem to 
open at all kindly. From a botanical point of view 
it is, however, extremely interesting, as it may be 
regarded as just on the borders of the great Orchid 
family. It is placed in the tribe Cypripedieae, but 
it is widely diverse from any species of Cypripedium. 
Apostasia comes nearest to it in point of remarkable 
structure, and has the sepals, petals and lip, all free 
and similar, also two perfect anthers, and a three- 
celled ovary. In Neuwiedia Lindleyi the sepals 
and petals are narrowly oblong, free, and yellow. 
The lip is slightly broader but otherwise similar. 
There are three perfect anthers, with two cells each 
containing granular pollen ; they are stalked and 
attached to the column in the lower third only. The 
column is elongated with a club-shaped, one-sided 
stigma, slightly lobed on the back. The ovary is 
three-celled. In no other genus of the Orchideae 
do v/e have three perfect anthers, so that we may 
reckon this a primitive type that has never made 
the progress that most other members of the family 
have. The plant stands about 2 ft. high, with a 
leafy stem; the larger leaves are lanceolate and 
plaited, while the yellow flowers are borne in a dense 
terminal spike. The species comes from Singapore. 
The whole of the species are confined to Malacca 
and the Malayan Archipelago. That under notice is 
terrestrial in habit, and may be seen in the warm 
division of the Orchid house at Kew. It seldom falls 
to the lot of Orchid growers in this country to see 
such a rare and botanically interesting member 
of the order. 
Maxillaria striata. 
In this we have a new species that will add some¬ 
what to the repute of the genus that is not over¬ 
crowded with good things. Amongst the finest in 
cultivation are M. venusta, M. grandiflora, M. San- 
deriana, and M. luteo-alba. That under notice 
comes between M. grandiflora and M. venusta for 
shape, but the colour is totally different, and if any¬ 
thing like what it is represented to be must be very 
desirable in a collection, particularly for the sake of 
contrast with the white-flowered species already 
mentioned. The flowers are larger than those of 
the last two mentioned. The ground colour is 
greenish-yellow, closely and regularly striped with 
reddish-purple lines, as suggested by the specific 
name. The erect lip is white with radiating and 
forking purple lines, but towards the base the ground 
colour is of a yellowish hue. Those who have seen 
it describe it as attractively coloured, and judging 
from the coloured illustration in Lindenia,pl. 389, it is 
certainly handsome. Although the ground colour is 
not bright, the reddish-purple lines serve to give it a 
distinctive character contrasting with the white lip. 
It was introduced from Peru by Messrs. Linden, 
L’Horticulture Internationale, Brussels, with whom 
it flowered in August last. 
Vanda teres Andersonii. 
The distinguishing features of this variety are that 
it flowers more freely than the type, and has larger 
and more richly coloured flowers. The upper sepal 
and the broad petal are rose, fading off to white 
towards the margin. The lateral sepals are more 
nearly white with some spotting along the middle. 
The three-lobed lip is very richly coloured. The 
side lobes are yellow on the inner face, striped with 
crimson; and the bifid terminal lobe is of a deep 
purple with a yellow claw lined with crimson spots. 
The flowers last in beauty for a month or six weeks. 
The plants should be grown in pots close to the 
glass fully exposed to the sun, and the pots plunged 
in sphagnum if possible, at least, during the summer 
months. The temperature must be high when the 
plants are making their growth, but ventilation 
should be given when the heat rises above go° or 
1008. The syringe must also be freely used in 
these high temperatures. In winter the minimum 
temperature may fall as low as 60°. Syringing 
should be suspended during winter and the amount 
of water reduced to a minimum. When the plants 
get too tall for the house in which they are grown 
the tops may be taken off and rooted, which is of 
easy accomplishment provided the heat and moisture 
are according to requirements. A coloured plate 
of the variety is given in the Orchid Album, pi. 475. 
Dendrobium aqueum. 
Although a very old introduction, this species has 
been coming into favour again of late years through 
fresh introductions, for we have seen it in several 
collections. What puzzles us is the fact that the 
name D. album should be the only one adopted in 
nurseries and private collections. Probably it was 
the fault of the botanist who first identified the 
recent introductions. The name D. aqueum was 
first given by Bindley in the " Botanical Register 
(1843), Misc. 5. The name D. album was given this 
species by another botanist, and a third applied the 
same name to a plant which is now recognised as 
Maxillaria alba. The name D. aqueum is not, 
however, more descriptive of the plant, even if 
correct, for the flowers are not of watery trans¬ 
parency, but white with exception of a small yellow 
blotch on the middle of the lip. They have the 
recommendation of appearing while the leaves are 
still in good condition, and have therefore a setting 
of greenery, which if it partly hides the flowers at a 
distance, serves to show them up all the better when 
viewed on closer approach. They are borne in 
clusters of two or three near the top of the stems, 
and are larger than a shilling piece, with relatively 
large overlapping segments. The habit of flowering 
on the young growths recalls that of D. chrysanthum 
and D. ochreatum, often grown under the name of 
D. Cambridgeanum. The species was originally 
introduced frdm Bombay in 1842, but it is also a 
native of the East Indies. It continued in flower till 
quite recently in the nursery of Messrs. B. S. 
Williams & Son, Upper Holloway. 
Odontoglossum prionopetalum. 
At a casual glance the large and prominent blotches 
of this Odontoglossum recall O. polyxanthum; but 
closer inspection shows that it differs considerably 
in the structure of the flowers. The conclusions to 
be drawn from it are that it is one of the forms of 
the polymorphous O. luteo-purpureum, or a natural 
hybrid between that and some other. It flowered 
for the first time in the collection of Sir Trevor 
Lawrence, Bart., Burford Lodge, Dorking, and has 
since bloomed with G. Hardy, Esq., Pickering 
Lodge, Timperly, Cheshire. The sepals are bright 
yellow with a few very large, bright chestnut 
blotches scattered over them. The petals are much 
broader, rather jagged at the edges, and have smaller 
and more numerous blotches overlying the centre 
chiefly or distributed round it. The lip has a boldly 
lobed blotch in front of the crest, and inclines to 
white in front while the lower portion of it is yellow. 
It was introduced from the United States of 
Colombia, and is figured in the Orchid Album,pi. 474. 
Trichopilia hymenanthera. 
A CONSIDERABLE numher of the species of Trichopilia 
have been introduced at one time or other to this 
country, but the subject of this note would appear 
to be a comparatively late arrival. It was grown in 
the Schillerian collection upon the Continent forty 
years ago, but it is satisfactory to note that it has 
recently flowered in the fine collection of A. H. 
Smee, Esq., The Grange, Carshalton. A leading 
peculiarity of the species is that it has no pseudo¬ 
bulbs, which may render it a little more difficult to 
cultivate than the others. It is neither so large nor 
showy as T. lepida, but judging from the illustration 
in the Or'^hid Album, pi. 479, it is exceeding graceful 
and pretty, and on account of its small size requires 
little space for its accommodation. The linear, 
arching leaves form a graceful tuft, from the base of 
which the flowering racemes hang down in an 
elegant way. The sepals and petals are linear- 
lanceolate, beautifully twisted, and pure white. 
The lip is broadly oval, flat, coarsely toothed at the 
edges, and white spotted with red. It should be 
grown in a small Orchid pan, well drained, and 
suspended from the roof of the cool Odontoglossum 
house. A compost of fibrous peat and chopped 
sphagnum will meet its requirements if heaped up 
in a little mound above the pan and the rhizomes of 
the plant pegged on to it. 
Vines and Vine Culture. The best book on Grapes. By 
Archibald F. Barron, Superintendent of the Royal Horticul¬ 
tural Society’s Garden, Chiswick. Secretary of the Fruit 
Committee.—A New and Cheaper Edition, Revised and 
Enlarged. Demy 8vo, Handsomely Bound in cloth. Price, 
5s. ; post free, 5s. 3d. Publisher, Gardening World, i, 
Clement's Inn, Strand, London, W.C. 
^l^antngs Woxitf 
Technical Lecture.—There is no doubt much to 
be said for and against the matter delivered under 
the title of technical lectures, with the object of 
encouraging better cultivation or gardening amongst 
cottagers. No doubt many of the latter in rural 
districts attend the lectures out of mere curiosity, 
and as a means of passing the long winter evenings 
where anything of an amusing or entertaining 
character seldom comes before them. Those of a 
studious turn of mind are comparatively rare, while 
those who will listen to instruction of an edifying 
nature and with a view to be benefited thereby are 
comparatively few. Under these conditions, the 
lecturer very often fares badly even when the sub¬ 
stance of his discourse has been carefully collated 
and faultlessly delivered. Even if an audience could 
understand what was said, it is quite certain that 
few could remember and carry away a tithe of the 
information without some attempt at note taking. A 
lecture was recently given in a Sussex village on the 
" Various Diseases of Plants, Insect Pests, and 
Remedies for both.” The numerous cases of plant 
enemies and the remedies for them no doubt created 
a momentary impression, but it is almost equally 
certain that it must have been bewildering for the 
audience to grasp or remember. The lecture was 
stated to be both instructive and interesting, but if 
the audience was more bewildered with the instruc¬ 
tions than the writer of the report, the impression 
made by the lecturer upon the hearers can neither 
be durable nor of any practical benefit. The report 
stated that artificial manure was excellent for poor 
ground. What kind of manure for what crops were 
matters left for conjecture. Some artificial manures 
are positively injurious to poor soils. If given in 
conjunction with a general fertiliser such as farm¬ 
yard manure, some appreciable benefit might be 
derived. Artificial manures are only meant, as a 
rule, to supply something in which the soil is 
naturally deficient. General fertilisers of an artificial 
kind would be too expensive for garden crops in the 
open ground to be practicable. 
Insect Enemies. —The first enemy mentioned 
under this heading according to the report was the 
bullfinch, which as anyone can see fails to correspond 
to the heading of the paragraph. The house 
sparrow, chaffinches and greenfinches all came 
upder the same designation, although otherwise 
termed birds. The apples that fell from the trees 
through the injurious effects of the Codlin Moth 
were to be "gathered up and used at once.” In 
what way was not stated, possibly in pies. The 
remedy recorded was most remarkable. The trees 
Were to be kept clean by whitewashing them with 
lime, using the lime hot. The Codlin Moth might 
well laugh at this. The American Blight was stated 
to be really a parasite. Perhaps there are people 
who do not yet know that all plant enemies of the 
insect kind are to be regarded in the same light. 
Soft soap was the remedy in this case, but stronger 
remedies were necessary in orchards. Then are we 
to understand that the American Blight is more 
difficult to kill in an orchard than in a garden ? 
Several strong remedies for the pest were mentioned, 
including pig water. Red spider was included 
amongst insects, but that might be excused. This 
creature caused the leaves of certain trees to fall, 
consequently there were no buds for the next year ! 
The remedy for the crimson green fly was the most 
confused of all. 
Further Pests. —Under this heading the black 
fly was included, but “ the soft soap remedy was 
not available.” " The gooseberry caterpillar would 
not come if the trees were on one clean stem.” That 
must be hard lines for the caterpillar, surely. A 
light sprinkling of soot was said to be a remedy for 
the Celery fly, and would allow it to go on the Docks, 
Parsnips, Cinerarias and Chrysanthemums. What 
would be the advantage of transferring the insect, 
from one garden crop to another ? But we doubt if 
all the soot obtainable in the county would compel 
the fly to feed on any of those subjects with the e.xcep- 
tion of the Parsnips. Exception might be taken to 
other statements, but enough has been said to show 
that a great deal of blundering has been committed 
by someone. Doubtless the lecturer was greatly 
misrepresented ; and if this was done by a well- 
informed writer, what must have been the recollec¬ 
tions of the masses, who without notes had to trust 
to their memory to retain the details of a very 
intricate subject ? 
