The leaves are about eight inches in length by four inches in breadth, and of a lively green colour; and the flower-spike reaches from ten to twelve inches in length, the flowers being as large as those of Vanda gigantea and V. lissochiloides. The sepals and petals are greenish-yellow, freely spotted with reddish-brown; the base of the lip, which is keeled, is white, the front lobe violet-mauve, faintly margined with white. Altogether it is a very distinct species, and is very strongly scented, with a peculiar odour; it lasts for several weeks in bloom.
Vanda Parishii requires about the same treatment as other Vandas, and should be grown in the East India-house, in sphagnum moss, with plenty of drainage. It would appear never to attain more than about a foot in height, being unusually short and stout in growth. It is best grown in a basket or pot suspended from the roof, and should be well shaded from the sun. It revels in a good supply of water during the growing period, which extends over summer and autumn; but in winter only just sufficient water should be given to keep the moss damp, for if allowed to become over-dry it will shrivel, having no pseudobulbs to support it. Thrips and scale are sometimes found on this plant; these should be diligently searched for and destroyed, as the leaves, being of a fleshy nature, would otherwise soon become disfigured by the onslaught of these pests.
Orchids at Arnot Hill.—We append a few notes on the Orchids at Arnot Hill, near Nottingham, the residence of C. G. Hill, Esq., a gentleman who is forming a fine collection of these plants, and one which we have no doubt will in time take a foremost rank, as Mr. Hill is specially fond of good Orchids, and intends to grow only those which are most worthy of cultivation. There is a fine range of houses built to suit the cool, the intermediate, and the East Indian kinds, and the arrangements are all that can be desired, having been made the chief study. Of the genus Odontoglossum, we found at the time of our visit, some few months since, there was a large collection, including some hundreds of plants of O. Alexandræ and O. Pescatorei, amongst which were many fine specimens. There was also a fine lot of Masdevallias; the Bull’s-blood variety of M. Harryana was in splendid condition, and there were many other fine varieties. We noticed a house full of Oncidium Gardneri mixed with O. prætextum and O. curtum, the plants bearing about fifty spikes, the greater part of which were in bloom, the flowers deliciously fragrant, and presenting a beautiful picture, as the bright yellow lip with its definite margin of brown shows off the flowers to great advantage. In the Cattleya house there were many fine plants which were rooting and growing well. We noticed a good specimen plant of the new Cattleya Trianæ Russelliana, also of the rare C. exoniensis, of the beautiful C. Reineckiana, of the best variety of C. labiata showing flower-sheaths, and many others. Oncidium incurvum was beautifully in bloom, and with its snow-white lip had a very pretty appearance.
In the next house we noticed three good plants of Dendrochilum filiforme finely in flower; one plant had fifty of its graceful spikes of yellow blossoms hanging among the foliage, and the other two plants were equally good.
In the adjoining house there were many fine East Indian Orchids. We noticed four plants of the rare Aërides Schröderi, and a wonderful variety of A. Lobbii in full bloom, with a fine branching spike—one of the best we have seen, and one of which we hope at some future time to furnish our readers with a figure. There was a good collection of East Indian Orchids being got together, and from the appearance and health of the young stock they seemed likely to thrive well. We were glad to see this class of Orchids so well appreciated, as there can be no doubt that the East Indian kinds are among the richest and finest of the family, and they will flourish in a lower temperature than most people imagine.—B. S. W.
PL. 16. CATTELYA GUTTATA LEOPOLDII.
CATTLEYA GUTTATA LEOPOLDII.
[[Plate 16].]
Native of the Island of St. Catherine, Brazil.
Epiphytal. Stems (or pseudobulbs) elongate, fusiform, many-jointed, two to two and a half feet in height, bearing a pair of leaves at the apex. Leaves broadly-oblong obtuse, dark green, coriaceous. Scape terminal, issuing from a short ovate acute ancipitous spathe developed between the leaves on the more vigorous stems, and bearing a many-flowered raceme, with small lance-shaped bracts. Flowers fleshy, in dense racemes, “sometimes as large as a man’s head;” sepals cuneate-oblong acute, the lateral ones subfalcate, of a light cinnamon or orange-tinted brown, spotted thickly with crimson; petals similar in form and colour, but rather broader and wavy; lip three-lobed, the lateral lobes semi-ovate, acute in front, rolled over the column, the middle lobe cuneate-flabellate and bilobed, of a bright magenta colour, the disk tuberculate with lines of elevated papillae.
Cattleya guttata Leopoldii, Linden and Reichenbach fil., Pescatorea, t. 43.
Cattleya Leopoldii, Hort. Verschaffelt; Lemaire, Illustration Horticole, ii. 69.
Epidendrum elatius, var., Reichenbach fil., MSS.; Id., in Walpers’ Annales Botanices Systematicæ, vi. 319.