Cypripedium melanophthalmum is an evergreen plant, having light yellowish green foliage with dark reticulations and blotches. The flower stems grow about six inches high, bearing the interesting flower at the top; the dorsal sepal is white flushed with purple at the base, and veined with green; the petals are bright reddish crimson, with darker veins and black hairy blotches or wart-like spots on the edge; the pouch is bright crimson with a green base, netted with green and reddish brown.
It requires the same treatment as C. barbatum—that is, it should be potted in rough fibrous peat, with good drainage, and the plant should be well elevated above the pot-rim, so that the roots can run over and also into the soil. These plants require a good deal of water, nearly all the year round, as they have no thick fleshy bulbs to support them. It must always be borne in mind that they must be kept free from insects to ensure successful and satisfactory progress.
Aërides Lawrenciæ.—At Stevens’ Auction Rooms, on the 19th day of September last, there was a magnificent new Aërides offered for sale, which realized the large sum of 235 guineas (£246 15s.), the purchaser being Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., M.P. It is encouraging to see that Orchids are more esteemed than ever they were, and that in spite of the enormous importations which are continually being received, good things are realising higher prices than ever. This new Aërides resembles in habit a large growing form of A. quinquevulnerum: the flower-spike measures two feet in length, and bears thirty-two of its lovely blossoms, which seem to be intermediate between those of A. odoratum and A. quinquevulnerum, possessing the strong aroma of the first-named plant. The flowers are very large, the sepals and petals white tipped with rosy-purple, the lip white marked with rich amethyst. It has just been named in compliment to Lady Lawrence.—H. W.
PL. 110. MASDEVALLIA HARRYANA MINIATA.
MASDEVALLIA HARRYANA MINIATA.
[[Plate 110].]
Native of New Grenada.
Epiphytal. Stems short, tufted, slender. Leaves persistent, of leathery texture, the blade spathulate, channelled at the base, keeled behind, tapering down into the petiole, which is invested by whitish brown membranaceous sheathing bracts. Scape issuing from the bract, investing the leaf base, radical, about a foot high, stiff, pale green, thickly striate-blotched with purple, with one or two distant sheathing bracts, and surmounted by the curved six-ribbed ovary, which is dotted with purple. Flowers remarkably brilliant in colour; tube about a quarter of an inch wide and upwards of half an inch long, orange-yellow, the open tube forming a yellow eye to the flower; dorsal sepal filiform, recurved, two inches long; lateral sepals deflexed falcate-ovate acute, fully two inches long by one inch wide, of a bright vermilion-red flushed with scarlet, and having the principal ribs of a rich deep crimson; petals minute, oblong-obtuse, white tinged with purple; lip still shorter, the tip recurved yellow, the disk with a deep furrow between two obtuse ridges. Column white, shorter than the petals, the winged margin extending upwards into a toothed hood.
Masdevallia Harryana miniata, Williams and Moore, supra.
This is a most charming variety of Masdevallia Harryana, being quite a new colour in this section; it is the most distinct and beautiful for its brightness of hue—one which we have not yet seen developed to such perfection of brilliancy in any other variety. It may also be noted, that when mixed with other forms of various colours it blends with them most charmingly. How exceedingly bright and beautiful it is will be seen from our figure, in which, however, it has been extremely difficult for our artist to imitate the natural tint of the flower. Our sketch was taken from a well-bloomed plant in the large collection of Masdevallias grown by W. Lee, Esq., of Downside, Leatherhead. It is a very rare as well as showy plant, and we shall be glad to see more of it, as it will assuredly be sought after.