Part 7

Lælia autumnalis atrorubens.—It is highly gratifying to find that this splendid variety of _Lælia autumnalis_, is becoming more plentiful, and that it keeps up its original character. Many growers were of opinion when it was first introduced, that the large size of its flowers and the rich colour of the sepals and petals were due mainly to superior cultivation and a pure atmosphere, but such is not the case. We have flowered some plants of it this season in our own establishment at Holloway, which have been as good, both in regard to the size and colour of the flowers, as those of any of the plants grown in a purer atmosphere, away from the smoke of this great City. We have received from the Right Honorable J. Chamberlain, Esq., M.P., of Birmingham, a splendidly developed spike of a grand form of this beautiful variety, which had been grown under the care of his gardener, Mr. Cooper.—B. S. W.

Odontoglossum vexillarium (Autumn-flowering variety)—A short time back Mr. W. Bull exhibited at South Kensington a recently imported form of _Odontoglossum vexillarium_, which had all the appearance of being a distinct variety, flowering during the autumn months of the year. It is, however, we think, somewhat premature to regard this autumn-flowering character as thoroughly established, though there is no doubt the variety is a distinct one, and remarkably fine in colour. This being the first time of its flowering, the particular growth shown may have been influenced by the time at which the plants were started. However, in due time, and with good cultivation we shall see whether this peculiarity of flowering towards the end of the year is really a constant character, or whether it may have resulted from the circumstances above referred to.—B. S. W.

MASDEVALLIA HARRYANA CŒRULESCENS. [Plate 24.] Native of New Grenada.

Epiphytal. _Stems_ slender, tufted. _Leaves_ evergreen, coriaceous, ten to twelve inches long, with a nerveless elongate oblong-spathulate blade, obtuse or somewhat acute at the apex, channelled at the base, keeled behind, of a very dark green colour, narrowed downwards into the stout petiole, which is three to four inches long, deeply grooved in front, and invested at the base by long membranous brownish sheaths. _Scape_ a foot long or more, brown, covered below with three or four bluntish sheaths, the upper of which is distant from the flower and closely appressed. _Flowers_ large, peculiar in form, richly coloured, the colour varying in different forms, typically of a brilliant magenta-crimson; _dorsal sepal_ elongate linear from a triangular base, sub-erect or reflexed; _lateral sepals_ broadly semiovate, apiculate, connate to below the middle, deflexed, the tips approximate, all united below into a decurved _tube_, which is yellow (in the allied _M. Lindeni_ the tube is white); petals small, hidden within the tube, linear-oblong emarginate, the base auriculate on one side; _lip_ also small, enclosed, clawed, tongue-shaped, cordate at the base. _Column_ rather longer than the lip, entire, not winged.

Masdevallia Harryana, _Reichenbach fil._, in _Gardeners’ Chronicle_, 1871, 1421; _Florist & Pomologist_, 1873, 169, with coloured figure; _Belgique Horticole_, 1873, t. 21; _Flore des Serres_, t. 2250.

Masdevallia Lindeni, _Hooker_, _Botanical Magazine_, _t._ 5990—_fide_ Reichenbach.

Masdevallia Lindeni, _var._ Harryana, _André_, _Illustration Horticole_, 3 ser., t. 142.

_Var._ CŒRULESCENS: flowers of a rich magenta-crimson, with a bluish-purple flush or bloom; otherwise as in the type.

Masdevallia Harryana cœrulescens, _Hort._ _plurim._; _Bull_, _Catalogue of New Plants_, 1877, p. 83.

We ought to be cordially grateful to our plant collectors for introducing to European gardens so brilliant, varied, and charming a set of epiphytal plants, as the several showy ornamental, and pleasingly grotesque species of the genus _Masdevallia_. There are indeed but few Orchids that possess such bright colours as are found therein. A few years since we had but two species that were really worth growing, namely, _M. coccinea_, of an orange-scarlet colour, and _M. tovarensis_, pure white. Then came _M. Lindeni_, a charming plant with flowers of a rich magenta-purple colour. _M. Veitchiana_, of which there are some very fine forms, made a fine contrast with its glowing orange-scarlet and bright yellow, the scarlet flushed with purple. The most beautiful, however, of all the Masdevallias are the varieties of _M. Harryana_, the colours of which—shades of magenta-crimson—are most intense and brilliant, many of the forms being also distinct in shape.

_Masdevallia Harryana cœrulescens_, our present subject, was forwarded to us by R. P. Percival, Esq., of Southport, who is forming what will in time doubtless become one of the best collections of these plants in the North of England. Whatever Mr. Percival takes in hand he carries out thoroughly, and this has led him to build separate houses to suit the different classes of Orchids. Now as Masdevallias prefer cool treatment they are best kept in a house by themselves: they require but a small one, as they take up very little room; indeed they will thrive well enough in the Odontoglossum house, for if their few wants are attended to, there are no freer growing plants in cultivation. They increase very fast under good treatment, and soon repay all the care which is bestowed upon them. They last a long time in beauty and make grand exhibition plants, producing also, when in bloom, a charming effect in the houses if intermixed with the various Odontoglots and other cool Orchids. There are so many varieties that some of them will always be in flower, but the best time to see them is from May to July. They are so accommodating to the grower that many wonderful specimens have been produced and exhibited during the last few years. When a plant is found to be too large it may be divided, and the divided portions will go on increasing.

We have found good fibrous peat and sphagnum moss to suit well as material for the potting of these plants. They thrive best in small pots. The roots should not be disturbed too often; when, however, they require fresh material to root in, it must be given them, as they are free rooting plants and prefer to have sweet wholesome soil about them. They must also have good drainage, for they need an abundant supply of water, and by giving them efficient drainage the water passes off quickly without doing any harm, which it would do if allowed to become stagnant about them. The plants should be placed near the light but so as to avoid the sun’s rays. A north house suits them best, as it shields them in summer from the heat of the day, which they do not like, in fact, they should be kept as cool as possible at all times, very little fire-heat being required in winter, and none during the summer. They like fresh air, but in winter cold draughts must be avoided. We find that they will thrive in a heat of from 45° to 50°: even somewhat less would suffice, but the temperature here named is the most suitable. Anyone, therefore, who possesses a small low house could grow them at a trifling expense.

They are easily propagated by dividing the tufts, leaving about three old stems and a leading growth associated. The best time for the division to be effected is just as they are beginning to grow. They should be placed in small pots until they are established, when they should be removed to larger ones.

Insects should be annihilated as soon as they put in an appearance. The thrips is their greatest pest. Cool Orchids, as a rule, are also subject to the attack of a small kind of snail, that increases very rapidly, if not kept under by constant watching night and morning. A few lettuce leaves placed in different parts of the house, or potatos or turnips cut in half and scooped out in the centre, form good traps for them, and by looking these over frequently many of them may be caught, as also by moving the plants, as they are apt to harbour about the pots.

CYMBIDIUM PARISHII. [Plate 25.] Native of Moulmein.

Epiphytal. _Stems_ fusiform, three to four inches long, annulately marked with the remains of the leaf-bases. _Leaves_ evergreen, distichous, ligulate-linear, keeled behind, bifid with acute lobes, from one to two feet long, of a rich green colour. _Racemes_ springing from the axils of the outer leaves, three to seven-flowered, the scapes furnished with lanceolate, falcate, acuminate, scariose sheaths. _Flowers_ large, sweet-scented, ivory-white, with an orange disk and crimson-purple spots on the lip; _sepals_ and _petals_ oblong-ligulate, acute, of a creamy white colour, the lateral sepals largest; _lip_ white with an orange coloured central band, flabellately dilated from a narrowed base, three-cleft in front, the side lobes oblong directed forwards, white, with numerous violet-purple spots, the middle or front lobe cuneate-ovate, undulated, with an orange-coloured silky or velvety disk, spotted with purplish crimson; disk having near the base a callus which terminates abruptly in front, and is furnished on the outer side with velvety hairs. _Column_ white behind, yellow at the edges, and in front having brownish purple spots at the base; caudicle provided in front, on both sides, with an awl-shaped extrorse process.

Cymbidium Parishii, _Reichenbach fil._, _MS. Herb. Kew_; _Id._ _Gardeners’ Chronicle_, N.S. I., 338, 566; x., 74; _Id._ _Transactions of the Linnean Society_, xxx., 144.

The genus _Cymbidium_ forms a small group of Orchids of which there are but few species worthy of cultivation for ornamental purposes. That which we now figure is one of the best of them, and is a very rare and very beautiful plant, which has but seldom bloomed in this country. In the summer of 1878 Mr. Swan, gardener to W. Leach, Esq., of Oakley Fallowfield, Manchester, flowered it for the first time in Europe, and about the same time another specimen blossomed with John Day, Esq., of Tottenham, which was subsequently purchased by us for 100 guineas. This latter plant has again flowered, and our sketch was taken from it.

Though a near relative of _Cymbidium eburneum_, this plant is considered by Reichenbach to be a distinct species, the points of difference being—the broader leaves with more prominent nerves on the upper surface; the somewhat smaller flowers with shorter sepals and petals; and the different form of the segments of the lip, together with some peculiarities in its callus and pubescence. It is one of the treasures of India, having been originally discovered so long since as 1859, in Moulmein, by the Rev. C. Parish, who found _Dendrobium crassinode_ at the same time. The plants of both these fine Orchids, then collected, were lost in the Ganges, and the _Cymbidium_ was not seen again for many years. It appears to have been actually introduced shortly prior to 1874, since at that date living plants are recorded as being rarities in the collection of Mr. J. Day, of Tottenham, and Mr. R. Warner, of Broomfield, though it had not then flowered in Europe. It is a most chaste and lovely plant, its graceful green foliage, and creamy white blossoms in which the lip is spotted with crimson, producing a beautiful effect. The flowers have also a pleasant perfume, and last for three or four weeks in perfection. The flowering season is July and August, and several flowers are produced upon a spike, in which respect it has a decided advantage on the score of beauty over _C. eburneum_, which produces but one flower on a spike. The latter, however, is a charming Orchid for winter and spring flowering, its ivory-white blossoms being then especially acceptable. There is also another fine species, _C. Mastersii_, which produces its white flowers during the dull months of autumn, when Orchid as well as other white flowers, are scarce. These are all worth growing for the purpose of cutting, as they keep for a long time in water.

_Cymbidium Parishii_ is very much like _C. eburneum_ and _C. Mastersii_ in its manner of growth, and also in its general appearance; in fact, it is somewhat difficult, when the plants are not in bloom, to distinguish the one from the other. An inspection of our figure will, however, show that the foliage of _C. Parishii_ is broader and that it is of a lighter green colour.

It requires the same treatment as _C. eburneum_. We grow the plants in pots, in the Cattleya house, on the side tables, near the glass. The material we use for potting is rough fibrous peat and loam, with thoroughly good drainage, the plants being also elevated above the rim of the pot. Their roots are thick and fleshy, and they therefore require a good supply of water during the growing season, but when at rest, the soil must be kept only just moist. They must be shielded from bright sunshine, by blinds or some other means, otherwise their foliage will become spotted. In winter they do not like to have their leaves damped, although in summer, on warm days, it will not injure them.

They are propagated by dividing the tufts just as they are starting to make fresh growth, leaving some of the established portion at the back of the new growth. They must be kept free from insects. The white scale, which sometimes endeavours to make its way on the foliage, is that chiefly to be guarded against.

Vanda tricolor.—In November last, we saw in the collection of J. Broome, Esq., of Didsbury, a very finely grown plant of _V. tricolor_, with two spikes of exceedingly richly coloured flowers—one of the best we have ever seen. It is in the way of the Dalkeith variety, but the flowers are large and of a remarkably bright colour. Mr. Broome sent us a spike to figure but it was spoilt in the transit; we hope, however, to be able to procure another when the plant again blooms, so that our subscribers may see what a well-grown specimen it is. It stands two feet six inches in height, and has beautifully healthy foliage down to the pot.

CATTLEYA VELUTINA. [Plate 26.] Native of Brazil.

Epiphytal. _Stems_ slender, terete, from twelve to eighteen inches high, supporting the evergreen foliage, and furnished at intervals with short ovate appressed bracts. _Leaves_ in pairs, oblong, acute, widest near the base, leathery, about eight inches long, and an inch and a half broad, of a dark green colour. _Scape_ two-flowered, issuing from a terminal compressed sheath or bract. _Flowers_ of medium size, stout in texture, tawny orange, the lip white marked with purplish spots arranged in radiating lines, very fragrant; _sepals_ ligulate-oblong, acute, recurved, rich tawny orange, spotted with purple; _petals_ of the same colour, cuneate-oblong, acute, somewhat lobulate or wavy; _lip_ three-lobed, the side lobes very short semi-ovate, partially enclosing the column, the front lobe large, roundish-ovate, apiculate, wavy and toothletted, the disk between the side lobes yellow with purplish streaks, the radiating veins purplish, the front or middle lobe white with dark purple veins, everywhere clothed with velvety pubescence. _Column_ free at the back, marked with many purple spots, and having a purplish border to the anther-bed.

Cattleya velutina, _Reichenbach fil._, in _Gardeners’ Chronicle_, 1870, 140, 1373; _Id._ 1872, 1259, figs. 288, 289; _Williams_, _Orchid Grower’s Manual_, 5 ed. 135.

This fine Orchid first flowered in 1870, under the care of Mr. A. Williams, in the collection of Joseph Broome, Esq., of Didsbury, Manchester, and subsequently in that of E. G. Wrigley, Esq., of Bury. What is described as a still finer variety of the same plant appeared shortly after in the collection of Consul Schiller, of Hamburgh. One of the most remarkable and special peculiarities of the species is the powerful fragrance of its flowers, which is so strongly developed as to scent the whole house in which a blooming plant is placed.

It is a very rare as well as a very distinct species. We have, ourselves, only met with one example in bloom, besides that from what our illustration was taken, and that was the specimen in the collection of Mr. J. Broome, above referred to, as being the first which bloomed in this country. Our figure was taken from a plant which flowered recently in the grand collection of Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., M.P., who was good enough to send it for our artist to sketch, and he has succeeded in securing a very faithful likeness of it. We have no doubt our collectors will meet with it in their journeyings in its native country, but it must be rare there, or we should have obtained more of it; most probably, like others of its genus, it is difficult to secure. It resembles _Cattleya bicolor_ in its habit of growth, the stems bearing two leaves, which grow about twelve to eighteen inches in length. The sepals and petals are of a rich tawny orange colour, irregularly spotted with purple, and the lip has the side lobes yellow, and is white in front, and distinctly striped with violet. Mr. Spyers says it blooms in September and October, when its fragrance, combined with its distinct colour, renders it a very acceptable inmate of the Orchid house; it also flowers at a time when few other Cattleyas are in bloom.

_Cattleya velutina_ requires the same treatment as the other Cattleyas, that is, to be potted in peat soil with good drainage; it does not need so much water at the roots as some kinds, but it should be borne in mind, on the other hand, that it must not be allowed to shrivel, and therefore a little moisture should always be supplied to the roots. If the plant once gets into an unhealthy condition its recovery will be very doubtful. Those of the Cattleyas, such as _C. bicolor_ and _C. velutina_, which have very slender bulbs are more liable to go wrong than those that form thick fleshy bulbs, the latter having more substance from which to draw their support. They require to be kept near the light, with very little shade, excepting just sufficient to keep them from the burning sun.

Like other Cattleyas, this species is subject to the inroads of the scale insect, which should be frequently sought for, and, if found, promptly removed. The foliage should be kept in a plump condition and not allowed to shrivel. In cleansing the leaves injury is often caused by too hard rubbing, by which they become bruised; rather should they be handled delicately, as, if once damaged, they cannot be restored to a sound healthy appearance. A damaged leaf is not only a disfigurement, but is of great injury to the health of the plant, by interfering with the action of its pores. Cleanliness is one of the great secrets of success in plant cultivation, but the operation of cleansing should be taken in hand before the insects get a-head, or they will assuredly eat into the leaves, which will thus become permanently injured at the points of attack.

Dr. Ainsworth’s Orchids.—When in Manchester we had the pleasure of visiting the collection of R. F. Ainsworth, Esq., M.D., in whose fine and varied collection the plant that most especially attracted our attention was _Masdevallia Chimæra_, the blossoms of which were very large, each flower measuring seventeen inches across. The effect of these beautiful and curiously spotted flowers hanging around the basket was very striking. We have had it sent to us to figure, but the flowers do not travel well; we hope, however, some day, when it is in bloom, to be able to figure it. We also noticed, in the same house, a wonderfully fine form of _Odontoglossum Alexandræ_, with broad sepals and petals of beautiful white, while the centre of the petals is marked with a pleasing rose colour, which gives it a very pretty appearance; the lip is large, white, beautifully crisped round the edge, the upper part bright orange-yellow. It was, altogether, a very showy flower. Mr. Mitchell, the gardener, said it had been in bloom for several weeks, and it was still fresh and fine when we saw it.

ODONTOGLOSSUM BREVIFOLIUM. [Plate 27.] Native of the Cordillera of Peru.

Epiphytal. _Pseudobulbs_ ovate-oblong, compressed, monophyllous. _Leaves_ short, oblong, two inches broad, and sometimes not much exceeding that in length, spreading. _Scape_ simple, radical, bearing at the apex a many-flowered erect raceme, the membranaceous bracts of which are oblong acute, and as long as the pedicels. _Flowers_ nearly or quite two inches in diameter, of a rich chestnut brown on the inner, and olive-green on the outer surface; _sepals_ roundish-ovate, somewhat undulated, narrowed at the base, of a bright chestnut-brown, narrowly bordered with yellow; _petals_ similar in size and colour, oblong-ovate; _lip_ clawed, auriculate, wedge-shaped, emarginate, shorter than the sepals, bright yellow, bearing at the base five warty tubercles, with a three-toothed appendage in front of them. _Column_ small, the edges of the anther-bed serrated, and decurrent in the form of membranous wings.

Odontoglossum brevifolium, _Lindley_ in _Bentham’s Plantæ Hartwegianæ_, 152; _Id._ _Folia Orchidacea_, art. _Odontoglossum_ no. 61; _André_ in _Illustration Horticole_, 3 ser. t. 170; _Reichenbach, fil._, in _Walpers’ Annales Botanices Systematicæ_. vi. 846.

This very distinct species was first found by Hartweg, on the Peruvian Andes, near Loxa, and was described by Lindley, in Mr. Bentham’s account of the plants collected by that traveller. It appears to have been introduced by M. Linden, and to have been first flowered in his establishment, the figure published in _L’Illustration Horticole_ having been derived from this source. The small compressed pseudobulbs are formed at the end of a sucker or offshoot, which is invested by large membranous bracts or scales, the upper of which covering the base of the flower-scape is somewhat broader and leaf-like.

This Odontoglot ranks among the most distinct species of its genus, as may indeed be seen by a glance at our illustration. It produces dense spikes of its beautiful flowers, which are more in the way of those of _Odontoglossum coronarium_ than of any other cultivated species; it, however, blooms more freely. The spike of flowers we have here represented was sent to us by Mons. F. Massange, of Liége, in whose collection the gardener—Mr. Kramer—induces it to flower freely every year. M. Massange is a great _connoisseur_ of Orchids, and in his collection are to be found many rare and valuable specimens, which have been frequently exhibited during the past few years, including the Liége Exhibition of 1881.

_Odontoglossum brevifolium_ is a dwarf growing plant, and produces its erect spikes of flowers from the side of the pseudobulbs. There were seventeen blossoms on that which is here represented. The sepals and petals are of a bright chestnut-brown, margined and slightly marked near the base with yellow, the lip is rich yellow with two light brown patches at its base. It is altogether a strikingly showy plant, and one that should be always cultivated amongst Odontoglots for its distinctness of colouring.