Lælia anceps.—We were very much surprised when calling on R. P. Percival, Esq., of Southport, to see the well-grown specimens of Lælia anceps to be met with in his admirable collection of Orchids. On the side stage of one house there were 230 spikes of this charming Lælia just ready to burst their flower buds, some being open, and presenting to view their fine richly-coloured lips, and their rose-coloured sepals and petals. Some of the spikes, too, bore as many as four full-sized flowers. This group must have formed a most gorgeous sight during the dull time of year, namely, during November and December. Some of these plants, moreover, were producing as many as thirteen spikes, others a lesser number. This species is, as it deserves to be, a great favourite with Mr. Percival. There was among them a fine specimen of L. anceps Percivaliana, a most beautiful form, producing fourteen spikes of its chaste flowers, the sepals and petals of which are blush-white and the lip rosy purple.
There were many other fine Orchids to be seen here. We must congratulate Mr. Percival on being so successful with his Cattleyas, which, when in bloom, must have been a grand sight, especially the varieties of C. Trianæ, C. Mendelii, and C. Mossiæ, which, between them, were producing many hundreds of flower-sheaths. Of C. Percivaliana there were five plants throwing up their spikes, and they looked very promising and distinct; doubtless, as in the case of other types of Cattleyas, there will be many forms of this new species.—B. S. W.
[Since the above was written Mr. Percival has exhibited one of these plants at South Kensington, and obtained for it a First Class Certificate. The flowers are not so large as in C. Mossiæ, but the lip is very richly coloured—a velvety crimson-purple with a border of pale rosy purple.]
PL. 129. ONCIDIUM LANCEANUM LOUVREXIANUM.
ONCIDIUM LANCEANUM LOUVREXIANUM.
[[Plate 129].]
Native of Dutch Guiana.
Epiphytal. Stems forming a very short woody annulated rootstock (ebulbous), from which are protruded the thick greenish roots. Leaves elliptic-oblong acute, leathery, slightly keeled, somewhat recurved at the point, a foot to a foot and a half in length, dull deep green speckled with purple, the speckling most strongly marked on the under surface and on the younger parts. Panicles rigid, short-branched, on green peduncles, which spring from the base of the leaf, and are blotched with purple, and invested with scarious ovate-acuminate bracts, the lower ones being larger and much lengthened out. Flowers showy, fragrant like vanilla; sepals oblong-obovate, narrowed below, concave, keeled, wavy at the edge, yellowish green externally, internally brighter yellow-green and spotted irregularly with reddish brown, a broad blotch of brown occupying the base; petals similar to the sepals in size, form, and colour; lip one and a half inch long, three-lobed, lateral or basal lobes magenta-purple, darkest at the centre, triangular-oblong, with three crests diminishing upwards on the disk between them; the middle or anterior lobe clawed, transversely-oblong, emarginate, the anterior half of the claw and the broad anterior lobe itself whiter. Column short, white, with a pair of magenta-coloured oblique oblong side wings, and a red anther cap.
Oncidium Lanceanum Louvrexianum, Reichenbach fil., in Gardeners’ Chronicle, N.S., xvii., 218.