October  11,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
329 
Autumn  Flowering  Lselio-Cattleyas. 
There  are  many  more  choice  Orchids  that  flower  in  autumn  now 
than  formerly,  the  introduction  of  new  and  the  reintroduction  of  a 
few  old  species  having  added  materially  to  the  list.  But  there  is 
room  for  many  more  as  evinced  by  the  paucity  of  these  plants  at 
shows  generally  at  this  time  of  year.  As  the  autumn  flowering 
hybrids  of  Cattleya  and  Lselia  become  better  known  and  cheaper,  these 
will  without  doubt  fill  a  blank  in  a  number  of  cases,  but  unfortunately 
they  are  as  yet  not 
sufficiently  plenti¬ 
ful  to  be  fairly 
represented  in  any 
but  the  best  col¬ 
lections. 
There  was  a 
lesson  to  be  learnt 
at  the  Drill  Hall 
meeting  on  Sep¬ 
tember  25th.  Had 
it  not  been  for 
the  fine  groups  set 
up  by  Messrs. 
Veitch  the  Orchid 
exhibits  would 
have  been  singu¬ 
larly  small  and 
uninteresting; 
and  though  there 
was,  even  with 
this,  a  very  much 
smaller  display 
than  usual,  and 
nothing  new  or 
particularly  strik¬ 
ing  among  them 
yet  their  value  at 
this  dull  time  can¬ 
not  be  gainsaid. 
The  wisdom  of 
using  good  varie¬ 
ties  of  the  separate 
species  is  very 
apparent  as  time 
goes  on.  For  in¬ 
stance,  the  pretty 
Laelio-Cattleya 
Epicasta  was 
shown  in  good 
form,  his  is  the 
result  of  a  cross 
effected  by  Messrs, 
Veitch  between 
Cattleya  Wars- 
cewiczi  (gigas) 
and  Lselia  pumila, 
and  in  the  form  shown  was  distinctly  good,  with  a  fine  broad  and 
beautifully  coloured  lip. 
This  has  been  exhibited  many  times  during  the  last  seven  years,  it 
having  been  shown  first  at  an  August  meeting  in  1893.  During  the 
month  just  passed  Mr.  Cypher  of  Cheltenham  exhibited  as  new  a 
cross  between  Laelia  Dayana  and  C.  Warscewiczi,  but  although  the 
near  relation  would  lead  one  to  expect  almost  a  duplicate  of 
L.  C.  Epicasta,  it  was  not  nearly  as  good.  It  is  only  fair  to  Mr. 
•Cypher’s  plant,  however,  to  say  that  it  was  weak  and  possibly 
■undeveloped,  so  we  may  see  it  in  better  form  when  this  clever  grower 
has  given  il  another  year’s  care. 
Another  instance  of  the  same  thing  may  have  been  noted  in 
Messrs.  Veitch’s  group.  L.  C.  Nysa  (fig.  91)  is  the  result  of  crossing 
Laelia  crisf  aand  Cattleya  Warscewiczi,  and  has  been  known  since  1894. 
L.  C.  Bryan  is  newer,  and  sprung  from  L.  crispa  and  C.  Gaskelliana. 
But  the  older  form  is  infinitely  better,  that  lovely  crimson  purple  tint 
coming  higher  up  the  unfolding  lobes  of  the  lip,  when  it  finishes  in  a 
clear  cut  line,  a  very  beautiful  hybrid.  That  fine  introduction  of 
Messrs.  Veitch,  Cattleya  Bowringiana,  is  parent  to  many  very  charming 
Fig.  91. — L.elio-Cattleya  Nysa. 
autumn  flowering  Orchids,  and  they  were  well  represented  in  the 
groups  referred  to. 
The  singular  Cattleya  Chloe,  for  instance,  is  the  result  of  crossing 
tliis  and  the  old  C.  bicolor.  The  relationship  to  the  latter  is  plainly 
seen  in  the  naked  column  of  the  hybrid,  the  side  lobes  of  the  lip  not 
enfolding  this  organ,  as  is  usual  in  the  genus.  Very  fine,  too,  is 
Cattleya  J.  W.  Whitely,  a  cross  between  C.  Bowringiana  and 
C.  Hardyana.  It  is  like  a  glorified  Bowringiana  with  a  broad  instead 
of  a  tubular  lip,  a  plant  that,  should  it  ever  become  plentiful  enough, 
ought  to  be  a  standard  autumn  bloomer. 
There  were  many  other  fine  things  in  the  group,  and  also  some 
fine  seedlings  of  doubtful  parentage,  from  Mr.  Young,  gardener  to  Sir 
Frederick  Wigan.  There  is  a  good  time  coming  for  Orchid  growers 
when  these  lovely  forms  get  plentiful.  One  of  the  seedling  Lmlio- 
Cattleyas  referred  to  from  the  noted  Sheen  collection  must  have  been 
at  least  9  inches  across,  with  a  very  beautiful  lip  of  the  richest 
crimson  purple.  A  score  of  such  plants  would  light  up  a  house  just 
now,  and  as  most 
of  the  hybrid 
forms  appear  to 
be  good  growers 
we  may  hope  the 
time  may  not  be 
long  delayed. 
Peristeria  elata. 
To  insure^the 
best  result  this 
plant  requires  a 
sound  compost 
with  ample  sup¬ 
plies  of  moisture 
while  growing, 
and  it  is  the 
neglect  of  these 
important  points 
that  leads  to  the 
unhealthy  state 
in  which  the 
plants  are  fre¬ 
quently  seen.  Not 
once,  but  many 
times,  I  have  seen 
the  plants  sus¬ 
pended  in  baskets 
with  a  compost 
as  poor  as  that 
generally  used  for 
epiphytal  weak 
growing  species. 
Perhaps  for  the 
greater  part  of 
the  day  the  com¬ 
post  will  be  abso¬ 
lutely  dry,  the 
large  fleshy  roots 
meanwhile  being 
starved. 
What  the 
plants  really  suc¬ 
ceed  in  is  a  mix¬ 
ture  of  loam,  peat, 
and  sphagnum 
moss,  with  plenty 
of  rough  charcoal  crocks,  or  other  material,  so  that  the  continuous 
moisture  does  not  bring  it  into  an  unsound  state.  The  flowers  just 
now  are  very  beautiful,  the  centre  of  each  being  an  almost  exact 
representation  of  a  white  dove— hence  the  popular  name  of  Dove 
Orchid.  it  comes  from  Panama,  and  succeeds  best  in  a  house 
moderately  heated,  or  say  the  Cattleya  house.  In  more  heat  than 
this  the  foliage  is  very  apt  to  be  overrun  by  red  spider,  scale,  and 
other  insects. 
Masdevallia  Davisl. 
The  prevailing  colour  of  the  showy  flowered  section  of  Masde¬ 
vallia  is  red  in  some  shade  or  other,  and  yellow  forma  are  by 
no  means  plentiful.  M.  Davisi  is  a  pretty  clear  yellow,  and  this  is 
what  makes  it  so  valuable  at  this  time  of  year.  It  is  named  after 
the  energetic  collector  who  found  it  over  a  quarter  of  a  century 
ago  in  Peru.  Its  habitat  is  suggestive  of  the  treatment  likely  to 
suit  it.  Cool  moist  conditions  all  the  year  round  with  plenty  of 
shade  in  summer,  and  in  winter  a  good  clear  light,  are  best  for 
it.  The  pots  used  should  be  on  the  small  side,  and  the  drainage 
perfect. — H.  K.  R. 
