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To my old and new Friends and Patrons of the Old 
and New World. 
With the present year’s edition of my price 
list of new, rare, and beautiful Central Amer- 
ican Orchids I have the pleasure to present you 
this illustrated paper on the ‘Orchid Flora of 
Costa Rica.’’ Its purpose is to serve as a gener- 
al answer to the questions which I am continu- 
ally receiving about the modus vivendi of the 
different sorts of Orchids of this part of the 
world. 
For the better understanding of the following 
specific treatments, some explanations and no- 
tions of general nature may precede the de- 
scriptive list. 
(and of Central America in general.) 
Little Costa Rica, seen from board ship either 
from the Atlantic or Pacific coast. has the as- 
pect of an immense dark-blue wall, torn into 
many more or less longitudinal pieces, whose 
crests have an undulating. but generally soft 
outline—quite different from the wild character 
of the Swiss Alps—and are surmounted here 
and there by peaks, most of them being volea- 
noes, although they do not look so in the least. 
A half-day’s trip by steamer gives us farther 
evidence that that high wallis cut down nearly 
to the level of the sea on both its northwestern 
and southeastern extremities. In fact, that 
narrow, island-like mountain-mass extends be- 
tween the depressions formed by the Lake of 
Nicaragua and the Isthmus of Panama; it in- 
cludes the Central American Republic of Costa 
Rica. and the Colombian Department of Pana- 
ma; and in the ‘“‘blue” forests of that gigantic 
Cordillera, on its high crests and peaks, slopes, 
and dark deep valleys, as well as on the sunny 
savannas and river-banks of its coast, are to be 
found all the orchids described below. 
Such a wet-looking situation between the two 
largest oceans would at first suggest the idea of 
excessive rainfall, continuous inundations, fe- 
vers, maladies, and horrors of all kinds. How- 
ever, the infinite Love and Wisdom who rules 
the world made out of that corner of earth one 
of the most pleasant places for men to live in, 
modifying an otherwise unbearable climate by 
the same simple means to which the temperate 
zones owe the beneficial alternation of Sammer 
and winter. 
Costa Rica (as well as the other Central 
American States) is divided into two distinct 
climatic zones, one facing the Carribean Sea, 
with a moderate rainfall during the whole year; 
the other, including the territory of the Pacific 
waters, has six months of nearly complete dry- 
ness, corresponding with the northern winter, 
from November to April, alternating with six 
months of rains. But even the rainy season is 
very pleasant, as almost every morning one en- 
joys delicious weather, with refreshing breezes, 
under a bright sunshine. ‘Toward noon the in- 
creasing heat becomes moderated by accumu- 
lating clouds; and, between 2 and 4 o’clock, 
generally, a heavy thunderstorm cleanses the 
atmosphere, and the nights are at most times 
clear again and truly delightful. 
The dry season of the Pacific slope is due to 
the trade-winds, under whose domination that 
section comes, when they are following the sun 
south. The trade winds are always saturated 
with the vapors of the sea, which, when strik- 
ing against the high Cordillera, condense. into 
rain, and, after depositing here all its moisture, 
the air-current precipitates down and over the 
Pacific plains in the form of a violent dry storm; 
which, indeed, during the ‘‘verano,” or dry 
season, is a daily occurrence on the Pacific 
slope. Now add to that, that during verano the 
trees partially lose their foliage, and you will 
find that most of the Epiphytes of the Pacific 
zone at that time of the year have to endure 
nearly the full light and strength of the tropic- 
al sun. as well as the violence of the dry and 
drying-up northeast storm, while their com- 
panions of the northern slope have less extremes 
to withstand. 
From the above it follows that Orchids from 
the Pacific side of Central America need during 
winter a very pronounced rest; while during 
the summer, or vegetating time, all without ex- 
ception require a liberal supply of water, and a 
moist air, continually renewed by a thorough 
ventilation. 
The temperature, depending on the altitude 
above sea-level, will be indicated with each 
species. The few sorts from the hot plains of 
the coast may require the Kast-Indian house or 
its cooler end; mountain-plants of about 3000 
