October  17,  1901. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
349 
appearance  of  a  specimen  of  Odontoglossum  grande.  The 
plant  is  growing  in  a  9-inch  pot,  and  carries  five  flower  spikes, 
with  an  aggregate  of  twenty-five  fine  blossoms.  In  this 
condition  it  is  one  of  the  finest  of  Orchids,  and  worthy  of  all 
care,  but  nurserymen  who  get  hold  of  large  plants  are  very 
fond  of  cutting  them  up,  so  that  large  healthy  specimens  are 
usually  conspicuously  absent  from  collections. 
Oncldium  microchilum. 
Orchids  at 
Down  House. 
At  Down  House, 
Bristol,  no  pretence 
is  made  of  growing 
a  large  collection 
of  Orchids,  but 
what  are  grown 
are  really  well 
done.  In  a  stove, 
house,  where  a 
miscellaneous  col¬ 
lection  of  plants 
are  cultivated, 
there  are  a  number 
of  very  fine  speci¬ 
mens  of  Dendro- 
bium  -Phalienopsis, 
all  the  best  of  them 
being  grown  in 
hollow  pieces  of 
bone.  There  is  no 
question  about 
their  satisfactory 
condition,  for  not 
only  do  strong 
plants  increase  in 
vigour,  but  quite 
small  pieces  that 
have  only  been  in 
the  bones  for  a 
year  or  so  are 
throwing  up  re¬ 
markably  good 
growth. 
A  number  were  flowering  with  freedom,  nine  spikes  being 
counted  on  a  plant  in  a  small  receptacle  about  3  inches  across, 
the  varieties  being  very  fair.  One  very  delicate  rose-tinted 
form  had  flowers  of  fine  form  and  substance,  while  several  had 
the  deeply  tinted  crimson  lips  so  much  admired  in  this  species. 
In  the  same  house  some  fine  specimens  of  Dendrobium  nobile 
were  growing  in  baskets  made  of  cork,  with  bottoms  of  elm, 
by  Mr.  Curtis,  who  is  very  enthusiastic  in  Orchid  culture. 
The  growths  are  very  fine  indeed,  and  after  a  good  ripening 
cannot  fail  to  flower  profusely. 
Those  who  think  a  lot  of  heat  necessary  for  Ccelogyne 
cristata  may  learn  a  lesson  from  the  plants  grown  by  Mr. 
Curtis.  They  are  kept  in  cool  frames  and  allowed  liberal 
supplies  of  air  and  moisture.  The  pseudo-bulbs  are  immense, 
and  the  plants  throughout  in  the  best  of  health.  Cypripedium 
insigne  is  grown  alongside  the  Ccelogynes,  and  is  equally 
satisfactory  ;  indeed  all  the  Orchids  are  in  capital  health,  and 
reflect  the  greatest  credit  upon  the  grower. 
A  Fine  Odontoglossum. 
Calling  upon  Mr.  Lee,  the  energetic  gardener  at  Claremont, 
Westbury-on-Trym,  recently,  I  was  much  struck  with  the  fine 
I  have  received  flowers  of  this  rather  uncommon  species  to 
name  from  Mr.  Price,  gardener  to  G.  White,  Esq.,  of  Cotham 
House.  It  is  seldom  seen  in  cultivation,  which  is  rather  a 
pity,  as  it  flowers  at  a  time  when  Orchids  are  scarce,  and  the 
blossoms  are  very  useful  for  buttonholes,  besides  making  a 
pretty  display  upon  the  plants.  The  leaves  and  bulbs  are 
pale  green,  the  former  thick  and  leathery,  and  the  spikes  are 
purplish-brown,  bearing  a  large  number  of  small  flowers. 
The  sepals  and  petals  are  pale  yellow  with  light  brown  spots, 
and  the  lip  is  very  small,  white  with  crimson  spots.  Mr. 
G.  lire  Skinner,  who  discovered  this  species  in  1838,  says  lie 
found  it  “growing  on  a  bare  rock,  with  a  quantity  of  dead 
grass  and  leaves  about  its  bulbs  and  its  roots,  woven  into  the 
interstices  of  the  rocks.  I  never  saw  it  except  in  such 
situations,  gene¬ 
rally  exposed,  and 
always  among 
rocks.”  This,  in  a 
way,  is  an  index  to 
the  kind  of  treat¬ 
ment  required 
under  cultivation, 
and  being  a  native 
of  Guatemala,  an 
intermediate  tem¬ 
perature  is  quite 
high  enough  for  it. 
Peristeria  elata 
(Holy  Ghost  Flower) 
T  ne  following 
short  note  may  be 
of  interest  to  the 
correspondent  who 
sent  a  bloom  to  be 
named. 
A  plant  of  the 
above  Orchid  is 
flowering  at  Bole- 
hall,  Tam  worth, 
under  the  care  of 
Mr.  Higginson.  It 
has  six  spikes  of 
flowers,  and  the 
number  upon  each 
spike  varies  from 
twelve  to  twenty- 
four.  The  owner 
(Rev.  McGregor)  is 
congratulated  in 
possessing  such  a 
tine  plant.  —  J. 
Udale. 
Maxillaria  tenuifolia. 
I  have  received  a  growth  and  flower  of  this  singular 
species  from  a  correspondent.  It  is  not  by  any  means  a  showy 
plant,  but  very  interesting.  The  growths  occur  at  shoi 
distances  apart  upon  a  wiry  erect  rhizome,  so  that  in  a  few 
years  it  gets  out  of  reach  of  the  compost,  and  unless  lowered  in 
some  way  becomes  weaker  annually.  Large  old  specimen-, 
grown  in  baskets  become  almost  pendulous  in  habic  as  the 
rhizomes  lengthen  and  fall  over  of  their  own  weight,  and  in 
this  way  they  have  a  certain  beauty,  though  from  a  cultural 
point  of  view  they  would  be  failures. 
To  get  the  best  results  every  one  of  the  rhizomes  should 
have  the  chance  of  rooting  into  the  compost,  and  young 
specimens  formed  by  cutting  up  the  old  plants  will  always 
produce  the  largest  growths  and  flowers.  The  latter  are 
1  bright  red  with  yellow  markings,  and  most  peculiarly  scented, 
i  Their  odour  has  been  not  inaptly  likened  to  that  of  salt  butter. 
A  moist  atmosphere  and  intermediate  temperature  are  best  for 
it,  too  much  heat  causing  insect  attacks.  M.  tenuifolia  is  a 
native  of  Mexico,  and  was  sent  home  by  Hartweg  in  1837  to 
J  Chiswick,  where  it  flowered  for  the  first  time  two  years  later. 
I  — H.  R.  11. 
LIE  LI  A  PRIEST  AN  S  ALBA. 
Liselia  praestans  alba. 
Lrelia  pnestans  alba  (L.  pnestans  is  now  recognised  as  a 
variety  of  L.  pumila)  is  a  pretty  little  Orchid,  always  greatly 
admired.  It  is  in  flower  in  collections  at  the  present  period. 
The  sepals  and  petals  are  broad,  pure  white,  the  base  of  the 
lip  also  being  white  and  finely  contrasted  with  the  rich 
crimson  upper  portion  of  the  same  appendage.  The  type  of 
L.  pumila  has  been  found  growing  upon  trees  in  Rio  Janeiro, 
at  an  elevation  of  2000  feet,  or  more.  L.  prrestans,  which  we 
illustrate,  came  from  Santa  Catherina,  though  it  has  never 
become  so  well  known  to  growers  in  general  as  the  charmingly 
beautiful  L.  Dayana.  The  latter,  by  the  way,  is  also  a  variety 
of  L.  pumila,  thus — Lmlia  pumila  var.  Dayana.  Mr.  Wm.  Bull 
of  Chelsea  secured  the  variety  L.  pnestans  alba  in  midsummer, 
1888,  probably 
from  the  same 
locality. 
