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: L .,4E il I A J - A IL U
'.'M/f.ajiJorjjei.naaiiJh J
T A B XXI I l .
L.EL1A' MA TALIS:
M A Y - F L O W E U I N G L ^ L I A .
LitLiA majalis; pseudo-bulbis ovatis vel sub-rotundis tnonophyllis, foliis crassissiniis oblongis acutis
scapo 1-4 tioro tereti brevioribus, sepalis lanceolaLis acutis, petiilis oblongo-laiiceolatis obtusiusculis undulalis
duplo ktioribus membnmaceis, Uibelli trilobi marginibus edentulis; lobo medio unguiciilalo subrotundo
emarginato, lobis lateralibiis rotiindatis.
Ln-lia majalis. But. lUg. hTuc. 1839. No. 42.
Cattleya Grobami, LISD. Gea. ut Spa. Orchid. 116.
Hahitat in SC U I E D E , IIARTWEG, ROSS.
i D c s c r i p t i o n »
PSEVDO-DULBS sometimes ovate, sometimes nearhj spherical, fainthj wrinkled, from aii inch to
an inch and a half long, clothed, when yowig, with tohitish mcmbranom scales. LE.\ VES one on
each ¡)semlo-hulb, exceedingly crassnlar, oblong, acute, from three lo fice inches long, shorter thun
the scapc. SCAPE from six inchcs to afoot high, round, bearing from one to four flowers. SlWMS
at least tico inches long, lanceolate, acute, of a beautiful rosg lilac colour. PETALS more than twice
the width of the sepals, oblong-lanccolate, wared ut the margin, and bent bach wards ; of the samehue
as the sepals. LIP two inches and a half long, three-lobed; the lateral lobes leaning against the
sides of the column, which they aliuosl encircle, rounded at the extremities where they spread open,
of a whitish caU, c.vcepting a few pink dots near their inner margin.; the middle lobe is much larger
than the others, deeply emarginate, vnguicidatc, and slightly notched in the margin, beautifully
pencilled with crimson .ttreahs and dots, all of which radiate towards the elevated plate by which the
disk is traversed: the edges arc faintly stained with rose-colour. CoLUMy shorter than the lateral
lobes of the lip—of a pink colour.
Tins lovely plant abounds in the more temperate parts of Mexico, where its exquisite beauty lias
rendered it a prime favoiu-ite wi t h the natives, from whom it lias received the familiar appellation of " Flor
de Mayo. " It does not , however, appear to have been long known to botanists, Dr. SCIUEDK imving been
the lirst to send spi-cimens to Europe, which, through the liberality of Professor SCIILECUTKNUAIII, have
been extensively distributed. Living plants were fii-st obtained by Mr . BAKKEK, from OiLxaca, through tlic
instrumentality of ^Ir. Ross : and, move recenUy, a large supply has been received by Ihc Horlicultura]
Society of London, collected by Mr. IIARTWEG in Sau Bartolo, in siluaUons so elevated that the temperature
sometimes falls below the freezing point. Tliis habitat, so unusual for an Orchidaceous plant, will go
far to explain Uie ill success that has liitherto attended its cuhivation, for while it is comparatively easy to
imitate Uie dos e and humid atmosphere in which most, of tlie tribe are found, it is inihiitely more difficult lo
provide u substitute for the pure air and frequent changes of temperature in which these mountai n e).iphytes
would seem to delight. Indeed, so sigiud, in the case of Lcclia majalis, has been the failure of even the
most experienced cuUivatoi-s, that although there was scarce a collection that did not contain one or more
specimens of Uie plant, still did it obstinately refuse k. tlower, except in die soliUiry instance about to be
described, w^hen il yielded to the skilfuUreatment o rMr . Dr
favoured us with the Ibllowing note :—
WVN LLEWEI.VX, of Penllergare, who has