üilli
COELOCA'NE CRISTATA L¡„jl MAXIMA avíí./
itosn, rhiwmntc valido, p^eiidobulbrs oblongis dcmum pauciwsiat!,, foliis gcmtnis cuncalo oblongo-Innccnlat/s
ercctis SC.I porrcclis basi vaglnis imbricaniibiis fccti.s a|>tco iri—plurinorís, bmctcis sixilhiiccis «culis avaria
ohinn<r„l„r„lnK. „„^¡j^j ^iriiiatis, IciMlis suha.-qua ••
ioblongis angíilatis, lacinia mcdi.ina obtusangiili. ^„„„ ,,„
lilis icrctiusculis barbatis, rticdiaiiis anticc iiralcreu laraclligcris, lamollis se
C'Kt.OCV.VE CRÎSTATA, Lindl.: Ce
aciitis, nervis ternis promlnulis, |x;diiticu
pcdiccllalti 5u|)crantibus, pcreisicniibiis, sej
labdb cxcawiEo Crificio, laciniis latcralibiis
mediana brevius, intcrmcdiis loiigius, omni
retusiuscula.
CVMniDIUM srECI0.Çlss:MûM, Don Prod. Nop. 35 I
COELOÎIÏNE CRISTATA, Lindl., Coll. llot. 33!; G. sp. Orcli. 30I ; 1
Fl, G. iii. xyl3l2!; Gard. Chroii., vii., N. S., S97, 951 ; Van HouUc Flore
Kegel Gartcnflora, 245 I ; Williams O. Gr. Man., 6lh od., 218 I ; Moore III. Orcli., CceKTnc L 4, ON. Mooro'
In clovatis India:: onotualis, Nepal, Syllict, Kainaon : VVallich ! Falconer! Chapawat 5500; Stia
Griffith I Sikkim 5—8000, LobbI Dr. J. Hooter!
Flores piilclierrimt, candidi, cari n is filisquc fl.nvls, inti
li, MAXIMA, Rclib. r.: omnibus partilius major, lab.
amico albis, fibrillis valde sparais.
COELOGVNE CRISTATA, Wamel, Williams Sel. Orch.
COELOÛYNIÎ CMSTATA, Lindl., MAXIMA, Kcllb. f., in
iniíuslioribus, eco ri nal is,
linci.'i quiñis orniilis, cxlcrais ne
is, columna superne alata, apice
a Orchidacca I., Coelcgync, Nr. 201 ; Bol. ECK,, xxvii.. 571 ; Mise, 541 ; I'nxt.
berros, xvii-, 1807; Linden, Liid dem an n, l'Ianclion, Uchb. it, l'oscatorea, 25 I ;
y imd Winlcrlwllom Horb. Kowl Darjccling,
porrocta rliombca emat^inala cum apiculo, lamollis in b
0.ir analytical figures represent an expand«! lip, an aniher (side view), a pollen apparatus and the top of colamn. The latter ihrco figures cnlarK«!.
T(IE best known, the most popular, and unquestionably the most beautiful in the large genus Ccelogyne is the old C.
cristata which, it may be interesting to note, was the identical .species upon which Lindley established the genus in 1825.
It wa-s fii-st introduced alive just fifty years ago and made its first public appearance in the spring of 1841, when Mr, Geo
Barker, of Birmingham, exhibited, and won a silver Knightian medal for, a plant of it at one of ihc London Horticultural
Society's meetings, then held in Regent Street. Although this Orchid has been under cultivation so long, there are but few
variations from the original type, and it was some years after its introduction that one appeared. There are now some four
or five varieties more or less distinct; two vary in colour, the others in size. In the variety Lemoniana or citrina as it is
also called, the deep yellow of the lip is changed into a lemon yellow. It is a highly prized variety, but the most precious
form of all is the snotv ^^•hite hololeuca(alba), whose flowers are quite devoid of colour, in fact it is one of the very few entirely
white flowered Orchids existing. The other named varieties differ from the original chiefly in size of flotver. That named
maxima, herctx'ith figured, is undeniably the largest flo\vcred variety of all, the petals and sepals being unusually broad
and of thick te.xture ; the shape of the lip diiTers also, the lateral lobes being more shallow, and as many as eight and nine
flowers arc produced on cach spike. What is knoxvn as the Chatsworth variety, also callcd major, was collected and
brought home by John Gibson when collecting plants for the Duke of Devonshire in India. It is likewi.se a grand variety,
bemg intermediate in size between the typical form and maxima. There is a fifth form known as the Trentham
variety, but this does not differ materially from the Chatsworth. This Orchid grows wild among the hills of Northern
India, particularly in Nepal and Sikkim, where it has been found by various travellers, Wallich and Hooker among
others, gro^v!ng on trees and rocks at an elevation ranging from 5000 ft. to 8000 ft. It therefore inhabits a rather cool
climate, though it is usually found in spots fully exposed to the sun, and from this fact cultivator may take a hint.
The culture of Ccelogyne cristata and its varieties is very simple, and that is why so many fine specimens are met
mth. It is grown best in a cool house excejjt during the time it is in flower, when a higher temperature, such as that of
a Cattleya house or warm greenhouse will favour the development of the flowers and tend to preserv'e them. Pots or jans
are best for it, not hanging baskets, as the plants are apt to become too dry in these, and dryness is one of the points to
guard against in the culture of this Orchid. When once a plant has sufl-ered from excessive dryness, the bulbs shrivel
and it is long before they recover. After dividing the plants for increase the bulbs often shrivel also, therefore great care
should be bestowed on this operation, so as to disturb the roots as little as possible. If the plants are not divided the
bulbs become crowded so densely as to impair the flower crop, but some good cultivators instead of dividing the plants thin
out the old bulbs, and this practice should be more commonly adopted. The best time for repotting is as soon as the
flowering season is over; the soil should consist of good fibrous loam with a third part of peat and a little sphagnum
The flowering time commences in December and extends to February and March, hence the value of such a lovely
as this f Orchid or a winter supply of flowers.
The plat. 15 prepared from a plant 111 10 ixjssession of Alfred Wilson, Ksq., Westbronk, She