VANDA SANDERIANA.
[[Plate 124].]
Native of Mindanao, Philippine Islands.
Epiphytal. Stems short, tufted, densely leafy. Leaves distichous, recurved, rigid and leathery in texture, broadly ligulate, channelled, obliquely cut away at the acute apex, evergreen. Racemes axillary, many-flowered. Flowers huge (fully four and a half inches across), and from the parts lying in one plane having a primâ facie resemblance to those of Odontoglossum vexillarium; dorsal sepal roundish, obovate (one and three-quarter inches by two inches), of a delicate rosy blush on both surfaces, slightly stained with buff-yellow at the base; lateral sepals divergent, but overlapping, obliquely and broadly obovate (two and a quarter inches by three inches), pale nankin on the outer surface, the inner of a deep greenish yellow, with about nine longitudinal prominent veins of a bright purplish crimson, extending from the base to within a quarter of an inch of the tip, and connected by transverse lines of the same colour, breaking off into dots towards the margin; petals much smaller than the sepals, obovate-cuneate (one and a quarter inch by one and a half inch), the principal portion rosy blush like the dorsal sepal, but the lower edge tinged with yellow, and bearing a few purple spots; lip small, less than an inch broad, spurless, the basal part (hypochil) concave, pale purplish red, ribbed exteriorly with nankin-yellow, the front lobe (epichil) shortly stalked, bluntly heart-shaped, with the tip strongly recurved, chocolate-purple, with three prominent ridges or crests extending from base to apex, where the middle ridge just falls short of the two outer ones. Column very short, pale yellowish, almost touching the sides of the concave basal lobes of the lip. Ovary hexangular, pink.
Vanda Sanderiana, Reichenbach fil., in Gardeners’ Chronicle, N.S., xvii., 588; Id. xx., 440, figs. 67 (habit), 68 (inflorescence).
Esmeralda Sanderiana, Reichenbach fil., in Gardeners’ Chronicle. N.S., xvii., 588 in note.
We have no hesitation in stating that this is the most wonderful Orchid that has been introduced for many years—one which all growers will be delighted to possess, as it belongs to a most noble section of the Orchid family, of which there have long been many beautiful species in cultivation. That which we now illustrate, however, as regards size, far eclipses its congeners, since it produces the largest and most extraordinary flowers of any that have yet been brought to light. The Vandas are conspicuously beautiful in their foliage as well as in their flowers, and the introduction of this magnificent species will, we cannot doubt, be the means of inducing Orchid growers generally to take a more lively interest in their cultivation. What can be more charming than a fine variety of Vanda cœrulea, or V. suavis, or V. tricolor, all of which, moreover, bloom at the same time, and some of which blossom three times in the year; this, indeed, may be the case with V. Sanderiana, for if we may judge from the remnants of spikes which have bloomed in their native country, and are found on the imported plants, we may reasonably expect the cultivated plants to flower quite freely.
This will be a scarce Orchid for some time to come, if our collectors are not more successful in getting it home, for hundreds of plants have unfortunately been lost on the voyage, and we learn from Mr. Sander that case after case has arrived with all the contents dead; thus of the numerous importations a few plants only have reached England alive. Mr. Sander further informs us that this magnificent Orchid comes from Mindanao, a large southern island of the Philippine group, “where it grows, high up on old trees perched upright between the branches in situations which are not very shady. It requires a good heat and much moisture. It flowers in October in its native habitat; and the blooming of Mr. Lee’s plant would seem to indicate that in Europe also the plant will be autumn or early-winter flowering. This, however, has yet to be proved, as the time of the flowering of Orchids in their native country rarely corresponds with that of their blooming in this country, the difference, in many cases, being as much as six months.”
Our drawing was taken from a fine plant, imported, it appears, by Messrs. Low & Co., and now in the choice collection of W. Lee, Esq., Downside, Leatherhead, who has had the good fortune to bloom this magnificent species for the first time in Europe, under the care of Mr. Woolford. This plant produced three spikes of its gorgeous flowers, one spike having twelve blossoms, and another eight, which, we think, shows that it will bloom freely. Each flower is considerably over four inches in diameter; the dorsal sepal is, like the petals, of a blush-pink colour, but is distinctly larger than the latter, which have a dash of greenish yellow and a few crimson spots along their lower edge; the lateral sepals are also much larger and broader than the petals, being fully two inches in diameter, of a rich greenish yellow, distinctly and beautifully reticulated with purplish-crimson over the whole of the interior surface; the lip is dull brownish crimson, and has three keels along the centre, extending from the apex to the base. The plant blooms in September and October, and continues in blossom during several weeks.
We suppose this Vanda will require the same treatment as Vanda suavis, but time alone can prove this. We recommend it to be grown in the East India house, in a basket, with sphagnum moss and good drainage, and hung up as near the light as possible, since it appears to be a plant requiring that mode of treatment. We have one growing in this way suspended near the glass, and it is making fresh roots, but it does not seem to be fast growing. The fine specimens that have reached this country are from two to three feet high. We find it to keep healthy planted in crocks until the roots make a good start, after which some live sphagnum moss is placed in the pot or basket, and these being provided with plenty of drainage, the roots cannot possibly have any stagnant moisture hanging about them.
PL. 125. CATTLEYA MOSSIÆ HARDYANA.