li
L / I L L I A ANCF,I\S u„,ii.
V A R . SCI IRCEDERI A N A au. j.
L/ELIA ANCEPS, Lindi-; pscudobulbis obloiigis telrsquetris n
ligulato-sjMithaccis Mutis ovari.i glutinosa 3:<|uanlíl}us, labcüo trífido, Itici
callo tridentato depresso in disco.
L.itr.iA ANCEPS, Lindi. Bol. Rcg., XX¡. (1S36), r. t;5i ; Hook. Bot. Mag-, t 3804; iil.. Cent. Orcíi., t. 2.| 1 I'axt. Mag.
¡3ot., IV., p. 73, „.iti, pinte ; W.-irn. & Will. Orchid Album, U., L 75 ; Jcnii. Orel.., t. 6. /if. I ; Vcilcl. Ma.]. Orcli. PI., pt. 2. pp. ¡C.
5?, with lig.; Garil, Chrun., Sept. 26, 1S85, p. 405, fig. 88 ffruítX
BLETIA ANCÜI-S, Kclib f. in Wiilp. Ana, VI., P.41S ; id., Xenia Orel)., If., p. 7SPscLdobuIbi
nunc viilJe abbreviali, nunc ciongati. l'olia valile curiacea, obloiiKO-ligubta subacuU, margine valdc obscura
brunnco-piirpurata. I'edunculu« clatus, anecps, apico uni-scxHorus. Sópala ligulala, acula, exlus viscosa, l'ctala bene latir,ra,
oblonga, acuta. Fios typicus intense roseo-puii,urcus. Discus inter lacinias laterales el callus xanthini. . .
extroi^um i^diatic ac nunc longitudinales in disco xanliiino. Callus elev.itus linearis antice Irideiitiilus in bisin laciniic mi
is, denle medio longiori. Lacinia antica excepto callo obscure alroptirpurea. In basi lacjni.t: antica: circa carinas ai
,i legis»
angular si,
Crescit in Me.'iici arboribus praicipue in quercubus. I
p, Liebmann, Hourgcau,n, 3355, Hahn, Coulter, n. 153
VAK. SCIMUIDIIKIA.VA, Rchb. r. in Gard, Chron., Mar. 14, 1885,
imis, labello niagno, lacinia mediana latissinia obtusa, laeiniis lateral
Variela.s superbissima ab el. F. Sander introdueta ; ill, liaroni Sch,
originally ¡nti^diiced by Messrs. l", Sander & Co., of St. Albans,
dedicated to Baron SclirBder, of The Doll, Egliain. Surrey, Its flowers arc of g
bri^t orange-yellow, will, lliree to five crimson-purple longitudinal lines, and several
Tl,e flowers are larger than those of the variety Dawsoni, Ihe petals remarkably bi
won, Chiesbrcght, Mnden, Galeotti,
le diciturra,
fiori bu.i a I bis, sepali s petalisque
is sanguineu-purpureis ornai is, disco
th short and broad, bl
Turs is the largest and finest of all the white varieties of I^-elia anceps, and is so remarkably distinct from ali others
that we think it a representative of a new ty|3e. The very broad, blunt, square and flat lip is certainly not to be found in
any other variety of the species with which we are acquainted.
It flowered in the collcction of Baron Schroder in January of the present year, and simultaneously at Tring Park,
the seat of Lord Rothschild. The whole flower is of a lustrous, satiny white ; very largo sepals and petals—larger than
in any other white variety; labellum very broad, with short, blunt, rectangular .side-lacinia;; mid lacinia very broail,
blunt eniarginate, with a ricli orange disc running to the base of the mid-laciiiia, where arc also a few crimson-purple,
longitudinal and forked lines radiating outwards. This noble Lailia has colossal pseudo-bulbs when fully developed,
resembling more some of the Schomburgkias than the small, short bulbs of the Mexican I^-clia anceps. Coming from
near the Pacific coast and a warmer district, a little more heat is necessary in the cultivation. Wherever we have seen
splendidly-flowered specimens of these white vai'icties the plants have been grown near the glass, with scarcely any
shading, a high temperature, brilliant light, and an abundant supply of water and air. It is not only the high temperature
our growers so often lack in our dull seasons, but also the want of sunlight, which is necessary to make them
flourish as well as could be desired.
In the I'nited States of America, I.iclia anceps and its varieties are among the most easily cultivated and most
free-flowering of orchids, which is in all probability due to the greater heat, and much brighter and more abundant
light. We often hear that it is more difiicult to grow and to fiower the white forms of I.a;iia anceps than tlie red, but
this is not so—they flower just as abundantly and freely. Wc must look further for the reason. The dark varieties
grow near the city of Mexico, and arc transported from there by rail to Vera Cruz, from whence they are shipped direct
home. The white forms come from the Pacific coast, and have to go to Panama by small coast steamers. These call at
all intermediate ports and take a long time, and again much time in the liomc journey is lost by the plants having to
cross the Isthmus of Panama by rail, after which they arc shipped to England by .steamers from Colon. The journey is
very long, and the plants shrivel much during the delay across the Isthmus, so that they, as a rule, arrive home in bad
order and take a long time to establish. Once this is thoroughly effected, there is no orchid which will flower freer than
the «'hite varieties of Laälia anccps. It is very curious and peculiar that these forms are not to be found growing wild
in the forests] Every plant we have sold had been cultivated and grown in trees in front or near the huts of the
Mexican Indians, and had to be purchased separately, and in these trees the plants have been growing for centuries.
The natives use the flowers for their religious services, and are very chary in parting with their specimens. It is one
of the discoveries of our collector, Mr, F. Bartholomseus, whom we despatched in search of it, and whose honest
enterprise and skill we cannot praise too highly. The plant is so rare that we do not think it will ever again come to
Europe. Our importation was, indeed, at a great cost despatched via St. Francisco by one of the fast trains to N'ew
York, and thence by mail steamer home, and to this we attribute the splendid condition of the plants on their arrival
Dravvr a plant in the colleelioi ,n J. I Jor, The Dell, Staines,