Orchids at Melrose, the residence of A. Curle, Esq.—We paid a visit to this place a short time since and were well pleased with the collection. The mansion is prettily situated on rising ground, well backed up with trees, while the view of the ruins of the old abbey in front gives the place a quaint aspect which renders it specially interesting to visitors. There is a range of glass houses consisting of vineries, and greenhouses. Then we come to the Orchid houses, in which there is a well-grown collection of these plants, which are doing well and making fine growth. The centre table has a row of good plants, such as Vanda tricolor Dalkeith variety, also a beautiful Vanda suavis which was reported to be a fine variety, and some other good Vandas. We, moreover, noticed a telling plant of Cattleya Harrisoniana violacea finely in bloom, which, with its violet-coloured flowers, is very showy. There are some grand specimens of Cattleya gigas, C. Mendelii, and C. Mossiæ, showing excellent growth, and many other Cattleyas and Lælias making rapid progress. Suspended from the roof we noticed a plant called Lælia pumila spectabilis, but it was not in blossom; since our visit, however, we have received a fresh bloom of it from Mr. Sharp, the gardener, and a most beautiful flower it is, being of good shape, the sepals and petals dark rose, the lip rich purple and of stout substance. The foliage is very dark which is the case with some of the varieties of L. præstans, of which there are several in cultivation, this being one of the best we have seen. In the same house was a good Vanda cœrulea showing fine spikes, and associated with it were some handsome forms of Cypripedium Spicerianum in bloom. We noticed also some well-grown specimens of Dendrobium Wardianum giganteum making strong growth, several plants being five feet high.
In the next house were many fine examples of Odontoglossum Alexandræ, O. Pescatorei, and others making good pseudobulbs; also Masdevallias and many other good plants. We noticed a splendid Zygopetalum Mackayi, so called, but we think it was distinct from any we have seen, the colour being intense, and the lip of a very rich purple.—B. S. W.
PL. 116. AËRIDES VANDARUM.
AËRIDES VANDARUM.
[[Plate 116].]
Native of India.
Epiphytal. Stems terete, flexuose, rooting, clothed with the sheathing bases of the leaves, growing two feet or more in height, of it purplish brown colour. Leaves distant, harsh in texture, four to six inches long, as thick as the stem, subulate, terete narrowed to an acute point, with a narrow furrow on the upper side, evergreen. Peduncle lateral, opposite the leaves, one or two flowered. Flowers rather large, delicate but durable, white; sepals spreading, the dorsal one ligulate with a stalk-like base, the lateral ones subcrenulate united to the foot of the column, the margins always undulated; petals obovate cuneate, undulated; lip tripartite, the lateral (basal) divisions linear-falcate, toothletted, the middle one deeply two-lobed, the lobes reniform, concave, crenate narrowed at the base into a claw, with a small toothed segment on each side and a sharp keel between; spur extinguisher-formed. Column short, wingless. Pollen-masses two.
Aërides Vandarum, Reichenbach fil., in Gardeners’ Chronicle, 1867, 997.
Aërides cylindricum, Hooker, Botanical Magazine, t. 4982, non Lindley; Gardeners’ Chronicle, N.S., iii, 537, fig. 115.
There is no doubt that the species of Aërides rank among the most beautiful of the East Indian Orchids. The one we now introduce to the notice of our readers is very distinct in its manner of flowering, and also in its foliage, the general aspect of the plant being much like that of Vanda teres, whence the name given it by Professor Reichenbach of Aërides Vandarum. The flowers are large and the manner of its growth makes it a very interesting subject. Few cultivators, however, have seen it in blossom. Our artist took a sketch last March from a plant blooming at the Victoria and Paradise Nurseries, where it flowered for several weeks.
Aërides Vandarum is an evergreen species and grows about two feet in height. The foliage is terete and acutely pointed, like that of a small growing Vanda teres and the stem is of a purplish brown colour. It produces two flowers on a spike, and these are of a pure white colour; it blooms in March and April, and lasts three weeks in perfection.
This plant requires the heat of the East India house, with all the light possible. It will thrive in pots or baskets with sphagnum moss, or even on rafts of wood, but when grown on these it requires more frequent supplies of moisture. It should have about the same treatment as Vanda teres, growing well during the summer if provided with plenty of moisture over the foliage and roots during the growing period, and having a good rest during winter, when it needs only just sufficient moisture to keep the stems and leaves from shrivelling. When it begins to show flower, it should have a little water to plump the stems and encourage them to throw out the blossoms freely and to develope growths for the summer season. We find it thrive best suspended near the glass, so that it can have all the light possible.