THE 
FLORIST’S JOURNAL. 
June, 1844. 
CATTLEYA MOSSLE var. SPECIOSISSIMA. 
WITH AN ENGRAVING. 
Throughout the whole range of floral beauties there is not, 
perhaps, a division possessing more interest and individual love¬ 
liness than is to be found in Orchideas; delicacy or splendour in 
colouring, and singularity in the form, are present, either sepa¬ 
rately or blended, in nearly every instance. 
The plant which supplies our illustration for this month has 
all these desirable qualities, with the additional one of being 
among the easiest of cultivation in the order. It flowered for 
the first time in the Tooting Nursery in March last, and, although 
at present considered only a variety of C. Mossice, is quite likely, 
on future examination, to be found sufficiently distinct to con¬ 
stitute another species. The appended note from our respected 
correspondent, Mr. P. N. Don, points out the distinguishing 
characters referred to, and contains its history and the mode of 
cultivation. 
“ Cattleya Mossice var. speciosissima is a very splendid variety 
of a very beautiful species : the pseudo-bulbs are more elongated 
than in the species; in fact, their character approaches more to 
caulescent than pseudo-bulbous, resembling those of C. guttata 
in habit. When the plant attains its full growth, it has two, and 
occasionally three, leaves at the apex of the stem, also elongated 
in nearly as great a proportion as the pseudo-bulbs : this is one 
of the distinguishing points, the parent species (if so it is), 
Mossice , having only one leaf to each pseudo-bulb. 
“ The flowers are large and handsome, being eight inches in 
VOL. v. NO. VI. M 
