460 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
March 21st, 1885. 
THE 
(frrjntr (Bxatotxn (Eafmbar. 
Cattleya Lawrenceana. —All Orchid-growers v,-ill 
hail with pleasure the advent of this extraordinary 
and beautiful new species of the “ labiata ” section of 
Cattleya which that enterprising firm of importers, 
Messrs. F. Sander & Co. have just received, through 
their collector, Mr, Seidl, from the Eoraima Mountain, 
in British Guiana. From all the evidence that can 
be brought to bear on it at present, we should think 
this is one of the finest of recent introductions. 
Professor H. G. Keichenbach carefully describes it 
in The Gardener's Chronicle, March 14th, thus : “ The 
flowers are as large as those of a good Trian® ; sepals 
uncommonly broad; petals much broader, usually 
blunt. There are some flowers with broader petals, 
and those will, no doubt, be received with uncommon 
favour. The lip is quite novel in shape for the labiata 
group. It is pandurate emarginate, rather broader in 
front than at the base. If you like to see its outline 
well represented, take Botanical Register, 1847, plate 
42, Cattleya bulbosa. This outline makes me record 
it as a new species, not one of the endless varieties of 
Cattleya labiata sensu amplisissimo. The column is 
singularly small, but it may have lost a good deal by 
being dried. 
“ And now the colours. The flower is of a fine purple- 
lilac. The whole anterior part of the lip is of the 
darkest, warmest purple. You might nearly compare 
this part to the end of the tail of the heath-cock. The 
side wings of the superior part are purple, the centre 
light yellow.” The plant is named after Sir Trevor 
Lawrence, Bart., M.P., the President of the Royal 
Horticultural Society.— J. 
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Odontoglossum baphicanthum. — This not 
over plentiful Orchid is now, and has been for the 
last month in flower in the cool-house with O. Alex¬ 
andra, and it does well under the treatment now given 
to that variety. The strongest plant has a spike of 
twenty-one flowers on it, showing that as the plants 
become strong, good spikes may be looked for. This 
variety is a natural hybrid between O. Alexandra and 
O. gloriosum, partaking of the characteristics of both 
of its parents. When first opening, its flowers are of a 
pale yellow colour, very similar to the ordinary forms 
of 0. gloriosum, but they gradually loose the yellow 
tint until they become almost as white as the ordinary 
forms of 0. Alexandra. It is also pleasantly perfumed, 
but not so highly as 0. gloriosum. As far as I have 
been able to ascertain, it is not likely to become very 
plentiful for some years; one large grower told me 
that not more than one piece to ten thousand of 0. 
Alexandra find their way to this country, which is 
much to be deplored ; it is highly appreciated by most 
of the visitors that come here.— E. Bumper, The 
Gardens, Summerville, Limerich. 
Saccolabium giganteum. —A plant of the white 
form of this Orchid has had two spikes of flower on 
it for some time, the first spike being open on January 
1st, and now, March 12th, it is only just turning off. 
The plant has been kept during the time in the East 
Indian House and not in a dry atmosphere, to cause 
longevity of flowers, or I have no doubt it would have 
lasted much longer.— E. Bumper. 
Cattleya from Popayan.—A flower of one of the 
late Mr. Chesterton’s collecting comes to us from 
Major Bendy, Sunbury House, Sunbury-on-Thames, 
with the question, Is this extraordinary thing a Lesha 
or a Cattleya ? Viewing the flower, the question seems 
a very natural one, for it presents exactly the appear¬ 
ance of a gigantic highly-coloured Laslia Perrinii in 
every feature, even to the straight, projecting lip and 
column. The sepals, which are white tinged with 
lilac, measure 8 ins. across (the whole width of the 
flower); petals, rose, darkening towards the tips to 
mauve ; lip, rose with orange line in the throat and 
violet maroon colour on the lower portion, which is 
pointed and marked in precisely the same way as 
Laslia Perrinii. All the segments of the flower are 
narrow and most curious. The pollen masses are 
wanting, but there is no doubt that the plant is a 
Cattleya of the Triana? section, although, like many 
of the other plants out of the Popayan importation, it 
presents distinct features, not the least beautiful being 
the violet tints in the lips of some of them. 
Phajus tuberculosus. —I notice in last week’s 
issue of The Gardening World that you record the 
flowering of Phajus tuberculosus with G. F. Wilson, 
Esq., and in addition you add that it has only flowered 
ticice before in this country, with Sir Trevor Lawrence 
and Mr. Dormer. I would also wish to add that it 
flowered with Mr. Sillem, at Lawrie Park, Sydenham, 
on February 30th, 1884, and was the subject of a 
coloured plate in The Garden of July 19th following. 
It also flowered in Messrs. Low’s Nursery, at Upper 
Clapton, in the spring of the same year, a small plant 
having a strong spike with five finely developed flowers 
which, on the plant, are even more beautiful than the 
plate portrays. — E. F. Kemp, Clapton, E. [Mr. 
Dormer’s name was mentioned in error instead of Mr. 
Sillem’s. We had not heard of the plant flowering at 
Messrs. Low’s.—Ed.] 
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Flowering Orchids. —At Stevens’s Rooms on 
Wednesday the display of Orchids in flower was an 
unusually fine one, and attracted a good gathering of 
buyers. Scarcely a species in flower at this season 
could be said to be unrepresented, so great was the 
variety to be seen on the well-filled benches. Varieties of 
Cattleya Trian® figured by the dozen, while of Odonto- 
glossums and Dendrobiums, Cypripediums, Calanthes, 
Phal®nopsis, Coelogynes, &c., there seemed to be a 
never-ending array. Perhaps nothing more forcibly 
illustrated the astonishing amount of interest taken in 
Orchids, and the value attached to them, than the com¬ 
petition amongst the buyers for the possession of good 
varieties of that old but still popular favourite, Dendro- 
bium nobile, of which some fine specimens and fine 
types came under the hammer. A massive plant, about 
4 ft. in diameter, carrying about 700 blossoms, fell to 
a bid for 10 gs., while a very neat, healthy, and well- 
flowered plant, about half the size of the first-named, 
but a very high-coloured variety, did not change 
hands until Mr. Stevens had got 18J gs. for it. 
Cattleya Trianee at Lake House, Chelten¬ 
ham. —The Cattleyas in the compact well-grown 
collection belonging to G. Nevile Wyatt, Esq., have 
been particularly fine this year, and give, by their large 
bright-coloured flowers, good examples of what reason¬ 
ably cool and airy treatment can accomplish in them. 
The strain throughout the house is very fine, but some 
of the varieties are extraordinary, notably a grand 
thing in the way of Backhousiana, another light- 
coloured form with large frilled lip, and a Popayan 
variety with large tubular lip, dark orange in the 
throat and violet-crimson. All the plants are superbly 
grown, and the heavy flowering does not seem to have 
impoverished them in the least. All the departments 
are well furnished with flower, particularly the 
Odontoglossum and Dendrobium-houses. Among 
rare plants, the lovely Oncidium Phalsnopsis with 
sprays of snow-white mauve-spotted flowers, the 
pretty sweet-scented Odontoglossum Sanderianum, 
the violet-coloured 0. Edwardii, some grand forms of 
Dendrobium Findlayanum, Cymbidium eburneum, 
and the curious, fragrant Stanhopia tricornis show 
good evidence of Mr. Simcoe’s care.— J. 
-— a~~- ~c — 
FLORICULTURE. 
The Points of Florists’ Flowers. —What are 
considered to be the points of the undernamed florists’ 
flowers? Dahlias, Carnations, Auriculas, Pinks, Poly¬ 
anthuses, and Tulips. At the spring, summer, and 
autumn Shows one hears a good deal of talk about 
“points and properties;” and, as I presume that 
these are understood only by the initiated, it would be 
interesting to myself, and no doubt to many of your 
readers, if you would kindly enlighten us.— A Looker 
On. 
[“A Looker On” asks a question that has always 
been, and we suppose will always remain, a “ bone 
of contention” amongst florists. We will, however, 
try to give him a few outlines sufficient to guide a 
novice in admiring the popular favourites he names; 
but we must premise that tastes differ and fashions 
vary in florists’ flowers, as in everything else, though 
there are a few leading points that must always be 
kept in view. 
Dahlias : A fine flower should be of a perfectly 
circular form—the outer petals stiff, well-rounded, 
and cupped —not too much so as to present a quilled 
appearance, and well filled up to the centre—not in 
the least degree showing the eye, neither should the 
eye be at all sunk or flattened, but rather elevated 
above the other parts when in full bloom ; the whole 
flower presenting a true circle when viewed above, 
but of a hemispherical form when observed at the 
side. In those flowers possessing two colours both 
should be clear and distinct. 
Auriculas : The pips should be large, flat, and 
round, with the ground colour equal on every side of 
the eye, which should be quite circular, as well as the 
edge. The tube, a bright lemon - yellow, perfectly 
round, and well filled with anthers; the eye round 
and large, the body colour black or violet, the meal 
fine, and not cracked; the colour in green-edged 
flowers should be a whole one, not a shaded green. 
The stem strong, and sufficiently long to raise the 
truss above the foilage. 
Carnations : The flower should be large, consisting 
of a number of well-formed petals, neither so many as 
to give it a crowded appearance, nor so few as to 
make it appear thin and empty; the petals broad and 
stiff, the guard ones (outer circle) well rounded, and 
should rise a little above the calyx and then turn off 
gracefully in a horizontal direction, supporting the 
interior petals, which should gradually taper towards 
the crown. Bizarres must have three colours in 
every petal; flakes two—the colours strong and 
bright, the stripes clear and distinct; the fewer 
freckles or spots the better; all the colours nearly 
equal, or the most brilliant colours should pre¬ 
dominate ; the white, pure and bright. Picotees 
should have the same qualities as to size, petals, 
crown, and clear white ground, edge of petals smooth 
and well rounded. Those flowers which are free from 
blotch or stripe down the petal below the coloured 
edging are greatly to be preferred to those which are 
marked and “ pouncy.” 
Pinks : The petals large and well rounded, edges 
free from notches, the colours distinct and clear. In 
laced pinks, the lacing must be continued round every 
petal without a break; in plain pinks the colouring 
should be confined to the centre, and no colour on the 
edge of the petals ; in rose pinks the dark colour 
ought, as in laced pinks, to be continued without a 
break round every petal. 
Polyanthuses : The pips large, flat, and round, with 
small indentures between each division of the limb 
dividing the pips into heart-like segments, edged with 
bright yellow ; the edge and the eye ought to be of the 
same colour ; the stem strong and well supporting the 
truss above the foliage. 
Tulips : The flower large and composed of six 
petals—these should proceed horizontally at the base, 
and then turn upwards in the form of a goblet. The 
three exterior petals should be larger than the interior 
ones, the edge of the petals well rounded or with a 
little indenture at the top. The ground colour of the 
flower at the bottom of the cup perfectly white or 
yellow ; and the various colours, whether stripes, 
flames, feathers, or blotches, should be very fine, 
regular, or bold and distinct, or else elegantly 
pencilled.— Ed.] 
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETIES. 
Manchester Royal Botanical and Horti¬ 
cultural. — March 11th and 18 th. —The first spring 
Show of this Society was held, as usual, in the large 
room of the Town Hall, and in every respect was 
worthy alike of the noble building in which it was 
held, and of the Society under whose auspices it was 
organized. The fact that at the Town Hall Shows, 
with the exception of the Chrysanthemum Show, no 
prizes are offered, would appear to some more in the 
nature of a deterrent than as an inducement, but still 
it has always been the case that these Shows have not 
