LÆLIA ANCEPS.
[[Plate 75].]
Native of Mexico.
Epiphytal. Pseudobulbs narrowly ovate-oblong, compressed and two-edged, with prominent angles on the flattened sides, thus tetragonal, four to six inches long, clothed while young with large membranous scales. Leaves oblong-lanceolate, bluntish, two, or more rarely one, from each pseudobulb, five to eight inches long, leathery in texture, dark green. Scape terminal on the pseudobulbs, erect, often two feet long, terminating in a spike of three to five flowers, jointed, clothed with carinate bracts, and two-edged or ancipital, whence the name. Flowers very large and attractive; sepals lanceolate, acuminate, about three inches long, spreading, of a charming delicate pinkish-rose; petals ovate-acuminate, of the same colour as the sepals; lip three-lobed, the lateral lobes inflected over the column, purplish-rose, paler on the lower side, yellow, and striped with purple inside, the reflexed front edge deep magenta-purple; middle lobe oblong-acute, recurved, rich deep velvety magenta-purple, white towards the base, the disk within the base yellow, traversed longitudinally by an elevated thickened ridge, which terminates in front in three crests. Column semi-cylindrical, wingless.
Lælia anceps, Lindley, Botanical Register, t. 1751; Hooker, Botanical Magazine, t. 3804; Paxton, Magazine of Botany, iv., 73; Williams, Orchid Grower’s Manual, 5 ed., 202.
Bletia anceps, Reichenbach fil., in Walpers’ Annales Botanices Systematicæ, vi., 418.
In the subject of our present plate we have one of the oldest inhabitants of our Orchid houses. It was introduced as far back as the year 1833, and is one of the most beautiful of the numerous Mexican Orchideæ. As a winter-flowering Orchid it stands unrivalled, coming as it does into flower in mid-winter, and retaining its beauty for a long period. It should be grown in quantity by every one on this account, for a more useful decorative plant it would be difficult to discover.
There are several varieties of this handsome species, which are very distinct from the type. Notably there is Lælia anceps Dawsoni, a white form, which was figured in this work at [Plate 44]. Then there are L. anceps alba, L. anceps Hillii, L. anceps Barkerii, and L. anceps rosea, a pretty rose-coloured form, differing considerably from the type. Our plate was prepared from a plant in the collection of D. B. Crawshay, Esq., Rosefield, Sevenoaks, who was kind enough to allow our artist to make a sketch of the plant.
Lælia anceps is a dwarf-growing evergreen species, having oblong-ovate bulbs, from four to six inches in length, furnished with oblong-lanceolate leaves, which are produced from the apex of the bulb. The flower-spikes are erect, produced just as the young growth is completing itself. The sepals and petals are rosy lilac, the throat yellow, with dark purple markings, and the lip rich magenta.
This plant should be grown in the coolest end of the Cattleya house, in a position where it may obtain a plentiful supply of the sun’s rays, and a liberal supply of air. If the cultivator could have partitioned off from the cool house a small division in which to grow the sun-loving Mexican Orchids, it would be advisable, as there are several kinds which delight in the same treatment as this gem, viz., Lælia autumnalis, L. majalis, Odontoglossum citrosmum, Oncidium Barkerii, O. tigrinum, and many others we could mention; in fact, the reason we so seldom see these plants grown as they should be, is that enough sun and air are not given to them.
Lælia anceps delights in a copious supply of moisture when growing, and like other Orchids when at rest requires only just sufficient to prevent the bulbs from shrivelling. It should be grown in a pot or basket suspended from the roof, in a good airy position; the compost best suited to it is good fibrous peat, with the addition of a little moss. The plant is increased by division just as it starts into growth.
Cattleya labiata.—H. Gaskell, Esq., of Woolton Wood, Woolton, Liverpool, has been kind enough to send us one of the finest inflorescences of this old favourite we have ever seen. The spike carries five large flowers, the sepals and petals are magenta-rose colour, the lip rich crimson. This is one of the most useful Orchids for autumn-flowering, and we regret to find it has become extremely rare.—B. S. W.