We have found this species to thrive well in the Cattleya house, planted in small pans or pots with good peat and sphagnum moss. It might possibly do in a cooler structure, but we have as yet only cultivated it in the Cattleya house, and this treatment has been found to suit it. It requires to be kept moist during the growing season, but when at rest should have only just sufficient water to keep it in a plump condition. The plant possesses one great advantage—that of blooming during the autumn months, when such flowers are so much in request. It has also another good quality—that of occupying but a small space, so that any cultivator who has a spare niche in his Orchid house can grow it without any inconvenience.
Cattleya Trianæ.—R. B. Dodgson, Esq., of Blackburn, has kindly sent us a wonderfully fine series of flowers of the different varieties of C. Trianæ, including some of the grandest that have yet come under our notice. Of two or three of these our Artist is preparing plates, which will be issued in due course in the Orchid Album. The variety named C. Trianæ Dodgsoni bears most beautiful flowers, which are quite distinct from all that we have previously seen, the sepals and petals being large, and of a pure white, while the lip is of a rich magenta colour, with the throat rich orange, white in the upper part. C. Trianæ Osmani is also a very fine variety, the flowers being rich in colour, the sepals and petals rosy pink, and the lip large, of a bright magenta colour; it is in fact altogether a wonderfully fine flower. There were several other varieties sent, including one which we have selected as the original C. Trianæ; this we shall first bring under the notice of our readers, and the other two will follow.—B. S. W.
Mr. Dorman’s Orchids.—When visiting this grand collection last month (March) we noticed the rare Epidendrum Wallisii in flower. Mr. Coningsby, the gardener, informed us that the flowers on this plant had been open since November, and they still looked fresh. Lælia flava was also good. Galeandra Devoniana, a plant one seldom sees in bloom, was quite at home here, flowering and growing luxuriantly. Lycaste Skinneri alba, with its pure white flowers looked very charming; this was an extra fine variety, with flowers as large as any we remember to have seen. In addition to these there were many fine things in flower, which space will not permit us to mention. Mr. Dorman’s Orchids are looking remarkably well, and are well cared for, both employer and gardener being enthusiastically fond of them.—H. W.
PL. 41. ANGRÆCUM EBURNEUM.
ANGRÆCUM EBURNEUM.
[[Plate 41].]
Native of Madagascar and Bourbon.
Epiphytal. Stem erect, leafy, producing roots from the lower part and from between the bases of the lower leaves. Leaves distichous, ligulate, very oblique at the apex, coriaceous, of a shining green colour, striated, about two inches broad, carinate below and overlapping each other at the base. Peduncles axillary, furnished with dark sheathing scales, and bearing an erect spike of numerous large flowers of peculiar form and appearance, all pointing in one direction and placed alternately back to back in a distichous or two-ranked manner. Flowers of a thick fleshy texture, green, with a broad conspicuous white lip; sepals and petals lanceolate, pale green, the dorsal sepal and the petals reflexed, the lateral sepals patent; lip large, broadly cordate, cuspidate, ivory white, the centre concave, and bearing a cleft acuminated ridge; spur tapering, considerably longer than and parallel with the dorsal sepal, dark green. Column short, thick, greenish white.
Angræcum eburneum, Du Petit-Thouars, Orchidées des Iles Australes d’Afrique, t. 65; Lindley, Botanical Register, t. 1522; Hooker, Botanical Magazine, t. 4761; Paxton’s Magazine of Botany, xvi., 90, with woodcut; Bateman, 2nd Century of Orchidaceous Plants, t. 111; Gardeners’ Chronicle, 1873, 216, fig. 46; Williams, Orchid Grower’s Manual, 5 ed., 88, with woodcut.
Angræcum superbum, Du Petit-Thouars, Orchidées, tt. 62-4.
Limodorum eburneum, Bory, Voyage, i., 359; t. 19.