The hottest of all orchids probably is Peristeria elata, the famous "Spirito Santo," flower of the Holy Ghost. The dullest soul who observes that white dove rising with wings half spread, as in the very act of taking flight, can understand the frenzy7 of the Spaniards when they came upon it. Rumours9 of Peruvian magnificence had just reached them at Panama—on the same day, perhaps—when this miraculous10 sign from heaven encouraged them to advance. The empire of the Incas did not fall a prey11 to that particular band of ruffians, nevertheless. Peristeria elata is so well known that I would not dwell upon it, but an odd little tale rises to my mind. The great collector Roezl was travelling homeward, in 1868, by Panama. The railway fare to Colon12 was sixty dollars at that time, and he grudged13 the money. Setting his wits to work, Roezl discovered that the company issued tickets from station to station at a very low price for the convenience of its employés. Taking advantage of this system, he crossed the isthmus14 for five dollars—such an advantage it is in travelling to be an old campaigner! At one of the intermediate stations he had to wait for his train, and rushed into the jungle of course. Peristeria abounded15 in that steaming swamp, but the collector was on holiday. To his amazement16, however, he found, side by side with it, a Masdevallia—that genus most impatient of sunshine among all orchids, flourishing here in the hottest blaze! Snatching up half a dozen of the tender plants with a practised hand, he brought them safe to England. On the day they were put up to auction17 news of Livingstone's death arrived, and in a flash of inspiration Roezl christened his novelty M. Livingstoniana. Few, indeed, even among authorities, know where that rarest of Masdevallias has its home; none have reached Europe since. A pretty flower it is—white, rosy18 tipped, with yellow "tails." And it dwells by the station of Culebras, on the Panama railway.
Of genera, however, doubtless the Vandas are hottest; and among these, V. Sanderiana stands first. It was found in Mindanao, the most southerly of the Philippines, by Mr. Roebelin when he went thither19 in search of the red Phal?nopsis, as will be told presently. Vanda Sanderiana is a plant to be described as majestic20 rather than lovely, if we may distinguish among these glorious things. Its blooms are five inches across, pale lilac in their ground colour, suffused21 with brownish yellow, and covered with a network of crimson22 brown. Twelve or more of such striking flowers to a spike23, and four or five spikes24 upon a plant make a wonder indeed. But, to view matters prosaically25, Vanda Sanderiana is "bad business." It is not common, and it grows on the very top of the highest trees, which must be felled to secure the treasure; and of those gathered but a small proportion survive. In the first place, the agent must employ natives, who are paid so much per plant, no matter what the size—a bad system, but they will allow no change. It is evidently their interest to divide any "specimen26" that will bear cutting up; if the fragments bleed to death, they have got their money meantime. Then, the Manilla steamers call at Mindanao only once a month. Three months are needed to get together plants enough to yield a fair profit. At the end of that time a large proportion of those first gathered will certainly be doomed—Vandas have no pseudo-bulbs to sustain their strength. Steamers run from Manilla to Singapore every fortnight. If the collector be fortunate he may light upon a captain willing to receive his packages; in that case he builds structures of bamboo on deck, and spends the next fortnight in watering, shading, and ventilating his precious trouvailles, alternately. But captains willing to receive such freight must be waited for too often. At Singapore it is necessary to make a final overhauling27 of the plants—to their woeful diminution28. This done, troubles recommence. Seldom will the captain of a mail steamer accept that miscellaneous cargo29. Happily, the time of year is, or ought to be, that season when tea-ships arrive at Singapore. The collector may reasonably hope to secure a passage in one of these, which will carry him to England in thirty-five days or so. If this state of things be pondered, even without allowance for accident, it will not seem surprising that V. Sanderiana is a costly30 species. The largest piece yet secured was bought by Sir Trevor Lawrence at auction for ninety guineas. It had eight stems, the tallest four feet high. No consignment32 has yet returned a profit, however.
The favoured home of Vandas is Java. They are noble plants even when at rest, if perfect—that is, clothed in their glossy33, dark green leaves from base to crown. If there be any age or any height at which the lower leaves fall of necessity, I have not been able to identify it. In Mr. Sander's collection, for instance, there is a giant plant of Vanda suavis, eleven growths, a small thicket34, established in 1847. The tallest stem measures fifteen feet, and every one of its leaves remain. They fall off easily under bad treatment, but the mischief35 is reparable at a certain sacrifice. The stem may be cut through and the crown replanted, with leaves perfect; but it will be so much shorter, of course. The finest specimen I ever heard of is the V. Lowii at Ferrières, seat of Baron36 Alphonse de Rothschild, near Paris. It fills the upper part of a large greenhouse, and year by year its twelve stems produce an indefinite number of spikes, eight to ten feet long, covered with thousands of yellow and brown blooms.[6] Vandas inhabit all the Malayan Archipelago; some are found even in India. The superb V. teres comes from Sylhet; from Burmah also. This might be called the floral cognizance of the house of Rothschild. At Frankfort, Vienna, Ferrières, and Gunnersbury little meadows of it are grown—that is, the plants flourish at their own sweet will, uncumbered with pots, in houses devoted38 to them. Rising from a carpet of palms and maidenhair, each crowned with its drooping40 garland of rose and crimson and cinnamon-brown, they make a glorious show indeed. A pretty little coincidence was remarked when the Queen paid a visit to Waddesdon the other day. V. teres first bloomed in Europe at Syon House, and a small spray was sent to the young Princess, unmarried then and uncrowned. The incident recurred41 to memory when Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild chose this same flower for the bouquet42 presented to Her Majesty43; he adorned44 the luncheon45 table therewith besides. This story bears a moral. The plant of which one spray was a royal gift less than sixty years ago has become so far common that it may be used in masses to decorate a room. Thousands of unconsidered subjects of Her Majesty enjoy the pleasure which one great duke monopolized46 before her reign47 began. There is matter for an essay here. I hasten back to my theme.
V. teres is not such a common object that description would be superfluous48. It belongs to the small class of climbing orchids, delighting to sun itself upon the rafters of the hottest stove. If this habit be duly regarded, it is not difficult to flower by any means, though gardeners who do not keep pace with their age still pronounce it a hopeless rebel. Sir Hugh Low tells me that he clothed all the trees round Government House at Pahang with Vanda teres, planting its near relative, V. Hookeri, more exquisite49 still, if that were possible, in a swampy50 hollow. His servants might gather a basket of these flowers daily in the season. So the memory of the first President for Pahang will be kept green. A plant rarely seen is V. limbata from the island of Timor—dusky yellow, the tip purple, outlined with white, formed like a shovel51.
I may cite a personal reminiscence here, in the hope that some reader may be able to supply what is wanting. In years so far back that they seem to belong to a "previous existence," I travelled in Borneo, and paid a visit to the antimony-mines of Bidi. The manager, Mr. Bentley, showed me a grand tapong-tree at his door from which he had lately gathered a "blue orchid,"—we were desperately53 vague about names in the jungle at that day, or in England for that matter. In a note published on my return, I said, "As Mr. Bentley described it, the blossoms hung in an azure54 garland from the bough31, more gracefully56 than art could design." This specimen is, I believe, the only one at present known, and both Malays and Dyaks are quite ignorant of such a flower! What was this? There is no question of the facts. Mr. Bentley sent the plant, a large mass to the chairman of the Company, and it reached home in fair condition. I saw the warm letter, enclosing cheque for 100l., in which Mr. Templar acknowledged receipt. But further record I have not been able to discover. One inclines to assume that a blue orchid which puts forth57 a "garland" of bloom must be a Vanda. The description might be applied58 to V. c?rulea, but that species is a native of the Khasya hills; more appropriately, as I recall Mr. Bentley's words, to V. c?rulescens, which, however, is Burmese. Furthermore, neither of these would be looked for on the branch of a great tree. Possibly someone who reads this may know what became of Mr. Templar's specimen.
Both the species of Renanthera need great heat. Among "facts not generally known" to orchid-growers, but decidedly interesting for them, is the commercial habitat, as one may say, of R. coccinea. The books state correctly that it is a native of Cochin China. Orchids coming from such a distance must needs be withered59 on arrival. Accordingly, the most experienced horticulturist who is not up to a little secret feels assured that all is well when he beholds61 at the auction-room or at one of the small dealer's a plant full of sap, with glossy leaves and unshrivelled roots. It must have been in cultivation62 for a year at the very least, and he buys with confidence. Too often, however, a disastrous63 change sets in from the very moment his purchase reaches home. Instead of growing it falls back and back, until in a very few weeks it has all the appearance of a newly-imported piece. The explanation is curious. At some time, not distant, a quantity of R. coccinea must have found its way to the neighbourhood of Rio. There it flourishes as a weed, with a vigour64 quite unparalleled in its native soil. Unscrupulous persons take advantage of this extraordinary accident. From a country so near and so readily accessible they can get plants home, pot them up, and sell them, before the withering65 process sets in. May this revelation confound such knavish66 tricks! The moral is old—buy your orchids from one of the great dealers67, if you do not care to "establish" them yourself.
R. coccinea is another of the climbing species, and it demands, even more urgently than V. teres, to reach the top of the house, where sunshine is fiercest, before blooming. Under the best conditions, indeed, it is slow to produce its noble wreaths of flower—deep red, crimson, and orange. Upon the other hand, the plant itself is ornamental68, and it grows very fast. The Duke of Devonshire has some at Chatsworth which never fail to make a gorgeous show in their season; but they stand twenty feet high, twisted round birch-trees, and they have occupied their present quarters for half a century or near it. There is but one more species in the genus, so far as the unlearned know, but this, generally recognized as Vanda Lowii, as has been already mentioned, ranks among the grand curiosities of botanic science. Like some of the Catasetums and Cycnoches, it bears two distinct types of flower on each spike, but the instance of R. Lowii is even more perplexing. In those other cases the differing forms represent male and female sex, but the microscope has not yet discovered any sort of reason for the like eccentricity69 of this Renanthera. Its proper inflorescence, as one may put it, is greenish yellow, blotched with brown, three inches in diameter, clothing a spike sometimes twelve feet long. The first two flowers to open, however—those at the base—present a strong contrast in all respects—smaller, of different shape, tawny71 yellow in colour, dotted with crimson. It would be a pleasing task for ingenious youth with a bent52 towards science to seek the utility of this arrangement.
Orchids are spreading fast over the world in these days, and we may expect to hear of other instances where a species has taken root in alien climes like R. coccinea in Brazil. I cannot cite a parallel at present. But Mr. Sander informs me that there is a growing demand for these plants in realms which have their own native orchids. We have an example in the letter which has been already quoted.[7] Among customers who write to him direct are magnates of China and Siam, an Indian and a Javanese rajah. Orders are received—not unimportant, nor infrequent—from merchants at Calcutta, Singapore, Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro, and smaller places, of course. It is vastly droll72 to hear that some of these gentlemen import species at a great expense which an intelligent coolie could gather for them in any quantity within a few furlongs of their go-down! But for the most part they demand foreigners.
The plants thus distributed will be grown in the open air; naturally they will seed; at least, we may hope so. Even Angr?cum sesquipedale, of which I wrote in the preceding chapter, would find a moth73 able to impregnate it in South Brazil. Such species as recognize the conditions necessary for their existence will establish themselves. It is fairly safe to credit that in some future time, not distant, Cattleyas may flourish in the jungles of India, Dendrobiums on the Amazons, Phal?nopsis in the coast lands of Central America. Those who wish well to their kind would like to hasten that day.
Mr. Burbidge suggested at the Orchid Conference that gentlemen who have plantations74 in a country suitable should establish a "farm," or rather a market-garden, and grow the precious things for exportation. It is an excellent idea, and when tea, coffee, sugar-cane, all the regular crops of the East and West Indies, are so depreciated76 by competition, one would think that some planters might adopt it. Perhaps some have; it is too early yet for results. Upon inquiry77 I hear of a case, but it is not encouraging. One of Mr. Sander's collectors, marrying when on service in the United States of Colombia, resolved to follow Mr. Burbidge's advice. He set up his "farm" and began "hybridizing" freely. No man living is better qualified79 as a collector, for the hero of this little tale is Mr. Kerbach, a name familiar among those who take interest in such matters; but I am not aware that he had any experience in growing orchids. To start with hybridizing seems very ambitious—too much of a short cut to fortune. However, in less than eighteen months Mr. Kerbach found it did not answer, for reasons unexplained, and he begged to be reinstated in Mr. Sander's service. It is clear, indeed, that the orchid-farmer of the future, in whose success I firmly believe, will be wise to begin modestly, cultivating the species he finds in his neighbourhood. It is not in our greenhouses alone that these plants sometimes show likes and dislikes beyond explanation. For example, many gentlemen in Costa Rica—a wealthy land, and comparatively civilized—have tried to cultivate the glorious Cattleya Dowiana. For business purposes also the attempt has been made. But never with success. In those tropical lands a variation of climate or circumstances, small perhaps, but such as plants that subsist80 mostly upon air can recognize, will be found in a very narrow circuit. We say that Trichopilias have their home at Bogota. As a matter of fact, however, they will not live in the immediate81 vicinity of that town, though the woods, fifteen miles away, are stocked with them. The orchid-farmer will have to begin cautiously, propagating what he finds at hand, and he must not be hasty in sending his crop to market. It is a general rule of experience that plants brought from the forest and "established" before shipment do less well than those shipped direct in good condition, though the public, naturally, is slow to admit a conclusion opposed by à priori reasoning. The cause may be that they exhaust their strength in that first effort, and suffer more severely82 on the voyage.
I hear of one gentleman, however, who appears to be cultivating orchids with success. This is Mr. Rand, dwelling83 on the Rio Negro, in Brazil, where he has established a plantation75 of Hevia Brazilienses, a new caoutchouc of the highest quality, indigenous84 to those parts. Some years ago Mr. Rand wrote to Mr. Godseff, at St. Albans, begging plants of Vanda Sanderiana and other Oriental species, which were duly forwarded. In return he despatched some pieces of a new Epidendrum, named in his honour E. Randii, a noble flower, with brown sepals and petals85, the lip crimson, betwixt two large white wings. This and others native to the Rio Negro Mr. Rand is propagating on a large scale in shreds86 of bamboo, especially a white Cattleya superba which he himself discovered. It is pleasing to add that by latest reports all the Oriental species were thriving to perfection on the other side of the Atlantic.
Vandas, indeed, should flourish where Cattleya superba is at home, or anything else that loves the atmosphere of a kitchen on washing-day at midsummer. Though all the Cattleyas, or very nearly all, will "do" in an intermediate house, several prefer the stove. Of two among them, C. Dowiana and C. aurea, I spoke88 in the preceding chapter with an enthusiasm that does not bear repetition. Cattleya guttata Leopoldi grows upon rocks in the little island of Sta. Catarina, Brazil, in company with L?lia elegans and L. purpurata. There the four dwelt in such numbers only twenty years ago that the supply was thought inexhaustible. It has come to an end already, and collectors no longer visit the spot. Cliffs and ravines which men still young can recollect89 ablaze90 with colour, are as bare now as a stone-quarry. Nature had done much to protect her treasures; they flourished mostly in places which the human foot cannot reach—L?lia elegans and Cattleya g. Leopoldi inextricably entwined, clinging to the face of lofty rocks. The blooms of the former are white and mauve, of the latter chocolate-brown, spotted91 with dark red, the lip purple. A wondrous92 sight that must have been in the time of flowering. It is lost now, probably for ever. Natives went down, suspended on a rope, and swept the whole circuit of the island, year by year. A few specimens93 remain in nooks absolutely inaccessible94, but those happy mortals who possess a bit of L. elegans should treasure it, for more are very seldom forthcoming. L?lia elegans Statteriana is the finest variety perhaps; the crimson velvet95 tip of its labellum is as clearly and sharply-defined upon the snow-white surface as pencil could draw; it looks like painting by the steadiest of hands in angelic colour. C. g. Leopoldi has been found elsewhere. It is deliciously scented96. I observed a plant at St. Albans lately with three spikes, each bearing over twenty flowers; many strong perfumes there were in the house, but that overpowered them all. The L?lia purpurata of Sta. Catarina, to which the finest varieties in cultivation belong, has shared the same fate. It occupied boulders97 jutting98 out above the swamps in the full glare of tropic sunshine. Many gardeners give it too much shade. This species grows also on the mainland, but of inferior quality in all respects; curiously99 enough it dwells upon trees there, even though rocks be at hand, while the island variety, I believe, was never found on timber.
Another hot Cattleya of the highest class is C. Acklandi? It belongs to the dwarf100 section of the genus, and inexperienced persons are vastly surprised to see such a little plant bearing two flowers on a spike, each larger than itself. They are four inches in diameter, petals and sepals chocolate-brown, barred with yellow, lip large, of colour varying from rose to purple. C. Acklandi? is found at Bahia, where it grows side by side with C. amethystoglossa, also a charming species, very tall, leafless to the tip of its pseudo-bulbs. Thus the dwarf beneath is seen in all its beauty. As they cling together in great masses the pair must make a flower-bed to themselves—above, the clustered spikes of C. amethystoglossa, dusky-lilac, purple-spotted, with a lip of amethyst101; upon the ground the rich chocolate and rose of C. Acklandi?.
Cattleya superba, as has been said, dwells also on the Rio Negro in Brazil; it has a wide range, for specimens have been sent from the Rio Meta in Colombia. This species is not loved by gardeners, who find it difficult to cultivate and almost impossible to flower, probably because they cannot give it sunshine enough. I have heard that Baron Hruby, a Hungarian enthusiast102 in our science, has no sort of trouble; wonders, indeed, are reported of that admirable collection, where all the hot orchids thrive like weeds. The Briton may find comfort in assuming that cool species are happier beneath his cloudy skies; if he be prudent103, he will not seek to verify the assumption. The Assistant Curator of Kew assures us, in his excellent little work, "Orchids," that the late Mr. Spyers grew C. superba well, and he details his method. I myself have never seen the bloom. Mr. Watson describes it as five inches across, "bright rosy-purple suffused with white, very fragrant104, lip with acute side lobes106 folding over the column,"—making a funnel107, in short—"the front lobe105 spreading, kidney-shaped, crimson-purple, with a blotch70 of white and yellow in front."
In the same districts with Cattleya superba grows Galleandra Devoniana under circumstances rather unusual. It clings to the very tip of a slender palm, in swamps which the Indians themselves regard with dread108 as the chosen home of fever and mosquitoes. It was discovered by Sir Robert Schomburgk, who compared the flower to a foxglove, referring especially, perhaps, to the graceful55 bend of its long pseudo-bulbs, which is almost lost under cultivation. The tube-like flowers are purple, contrasting exquisitely109 with a snow-white lip, striped with lilac in the throat.
Phal?nopsis, of course, are hot. This is one of our oldest genera which still rank in the first class. It was drawn110 and described so early as 1750, and a plant reached Messrs. Rollisson in 1838; they sold it to the Duke of Devonshire for a hundred guineas. Many persons regard Phal?nopsis as the loveliest of all, and there is no question of their supreme111 beauty, though not everyone may rank them first. They come mostly from the Philippines, but Java, Borneo, Cochin China, Burmah, even Assam contribute some species. Colonel Berkeley found Ph. tetraspis, snow-white, and Ph. speciosa, purple, in the Andamans, when he was Governor of that settlement, clinging to low bushes along the mangrove112 creeks113. So far as I know, all the species dwell within breath of the sea, as it may be put, where the atmosphere is laden114 with salt; this gives a hint to the thoughtful. Mr. Partington, of Cheshunt, who was the most renowned115 cultivator of the genus in his time, used to lay down salt upon the paths and beneath the stages of his Phal?nopsis house. Lady Howard de Walden stands first, perhaps, at the present day, and her gardener follows the same system. These plants, indeed, are affected116, for good or ill, by influences too subtle for our perception as yet. Experiment alone will decide whether a certain house, or a certain neighbourhood even, is agreeable to their taste. It is a waste of money in general to make alterations117; if they do not like the place they won't live there, and that's flat! It is probable that Maidstone, where Lady Howard de Walden resides, may be specially87 suited to their needs, but her ladyship's gardener knows how to turn a lucky chance to the best account. Some of his plants have ten leaves!—the uninitiated may think that fact grotesquely118 undeserving of a note of exclamation119, but to explain would be too technical. It may be observed that the famous Swan orchid, Cycnoches chlorochilon, flourishes at Maidstone as nowhere else perhaps in England.
Phal?nopsis were first introduced by Messrs. Rollisson, of Tooting, a firm that vanished years ago, but will live in the annals of horticulture as the earliest of the great importers. In 1836 they got home a living specimen of Ph. amabilis, which had been described, and even figured, eighty years before. A few months later the Duke of Devonshire secured Ph. Schilleriana. The late Mr. B.S. Williams told me a very curious incident relating to this species. It comes from the Philippines, and exacts a very hot, close atmosphere of course. Once upon a time, however, a little piece was left in the cool house at Holloway, and remained there some months unnoticed by the authorities. When at length the oversight120 was remarked, to their amaze this stranger from the tropics, abandoned in the temperate zone, proved to be thriving more vigorously than any of his fellows who enjoyed their proper climate!—so he was left in peace and cherished as a "phenomenon." Four seasons had passed when I beheld121 the marvel122, and it was a picture of health and strength, flowering freely; but the reader is not advised to introduce a few Phal?nopsis to his Odontoglossums—not by any means. Mr. Williams himself never repeated the experiment. It was one of those delightfully123 perplexing vagaries125 which the orchid-grower notes from time to time.
There are rare species of this genus which will not be found in the dealers' catalogues, and amateurs who like a novelty may be pleased to hear some names. Ph. Manni, christened in honour of Mr. Mann, Director of the Indian Forest Department, is yellow and red; Ph. cornucervi, yellow and brown; Ph. Portei, a natural hybrid78, of Ph. rosea and Ph. Aphrodite, white, the lip amethyst. It is found very, very rarely in the woods near Manilla. Above all, Ph. Sanderiana, to which hangs a little tale.
So soon as the natives of the Philippines began to understand that their white and lilac weeds were cherished in Europe, they talked of a scarlet126 variety, which thrilled listening collectors with joy; but the precious thing never came to hand, and, on closer inquiry, no responsible witness could be found who had seen it. Years passed by and the scarlet Phal?nopsis became a jest among orchidaceans. The natives persisted, however, and Mr. Sander found the belief so general, if shadowy, that when a service of coasting steamers was established, he sent Mr. Roebelin to make a thorough investigation127. His enterprise and sagacity were rewarded, as usual. After floating round for twenty-five years amidst derision, the rumour8 proved true in part. Ph. Sanderiana is not scarlet but purplish rose, a very handsome and distinct species.
To the same collector we owe the noblest of Aerides, A. Lawrenci?, waxy128 white tipped with purple, and deep purple lip. Besides the lovely colouring it is the largest by far of that genus. Mr. Roebelin sent two plants from the Far East; he had not seen the flower, nor received any description from the natives. Mr. Sander grew them in equal ignorance for three years, and sent one to auction in blossom; it fell to Sir Trevor Lawrence's bid for 235 guineas.
Many of the C?logenes classed as cool, which, indeed, rub along with Odontoglossums, do better in the stove while growing. C?l. cristata itself comes from Nepaul, where the summer sun is terrible, and it covers the rocks most exposed. But I will only name a few of those recognized as hot. Amongst the most striking of flowers, exquisitely pretty also, is C?l. pandurata, from Borneo. Its spike has been described by a person of fine fancy as resembling a row of glossy pea-green frogs with black tongues, each three inches in diameter. The whole bloom is brilliantly green, but several ridges129 clothed with hairs as black and soft as velvet run down the lip, seeming to issue from a mouth. It is strange to see that a plant so curious, so beautiful, and so sweet should be so rarely cultivated; I own, however, that it is very unwilling130 to make itself at home with us. C?l. Dayana, also a native of Borneo, one of our newest discoveries, is named after Mr. Day, of Tottenham. I may interpolate a remark here for the encouragement of poor but enthusiastic members of our fraternity. When Mr. Day sold his collection lately, an American "Syndicate" paid 12,000l. down, and the remaining plants fetched 12,000l. at auction; so, at least, the uncontradicted report goes. C?l. Dayana is rare, of course, and dear, but Mr. Sander has lately imported a large quantity. The spike is three feet long sometimes, a pendant wreath of buff-yellow flowers broadly striped with chocolate. C?l. Massangeana, from Assam, resembles this, but the lip is deep crimson-brown, with lines of yellow, and a white edge. Newest of all the C?logenes, and supremely131 beautiful, is C?l. Sanderiana, imported by the gentleman whose name it bears. He has been called "The Orchid King." This superb species has only flowered once in Europe as yet; Baron Ferdinand Rothschild is the happy man. Its snow-white blooms, six on a spike generally, each three inches across, have very dark brown stripes on the lip. It was discovered in Borneo by Mr. Forstermann, the same collector who happed132 upon the wondrous scarlet Dendrobe, mentioned in a former chapter. There I stated that Baron Schroeder had three pieces; this was a mistake unfortunately. Mr. Forstermann only secured three, of which two died on the journey. Baron Schroeder bought the third, but it has perished. No more can be found as yet.
Of Oncidiums there are many that demand stove treatment. The story of Onc. splendidum is curious. It first turned up in France some thirty years ago. A ship's captain sailing from St. Lazare brought half a dozen pieces, which he gave to his "owner," M. Herman. The latter handed them to MM. Thibaut and Ketteler, of Sceaux, who split them up and distributed them. Two of the original plants found their way to England, and they also appear to have been cut up. A legend of the King Street Auction Room recalls how perfervid competitors ran up a bit of Onc. splendidum, that had only one leaf, to thirty guineas. The whole stock vanished presently, which is not surprising if it had all been divided in the same ruthless manner. From that day the species was lost until Mr. Sander turned his attention to it. There was no record of its habitat. The name of the vessel133, or even of the captain, might have furnished a clue had it been recorded, for the shipping134 intelligence of the day would have shown what ports he was frequenting about that time. I could tell of mysterious orchids traced home upon indications less distinct. But there was absolutely nothing. Mr. Sander, however, had scrutinized135 the plant carefully, while specimens were still extant, and from the structure of the leaf he formed a strong conclusion that it must belong to the Central American flora37; furthermore, that it must inhabit a very warm locality. In 1882 he directed one of his collectors, Mr. Oversluys, to look for the precious thing in Costa Rica. Year after year the search proceeded, until Mr. Oversluys declared with some warmth that Onc. splendidum might grow in heaven or in the other place, but it was not to be found in Costa Rica. But theorists are stubborn, and year after year he was sent back. At length, in 1882, riding through a district often explored, the collector found himself in a grassy136 plain, dotted with pale yellow flowers. He had beheld the same many times, but his business was orchids. On this occasion, however, he chanced to approach one of the masses, and recognized the object of his quest. It was the familiar case of a man who overlooks the thing he has to find, because it is too near and too conspicuous137. But Mr. Oversluys had excuse enough. Who could have expected to see an Oncidium buried in long grass, exposed to the full power of a tropic sun?
Oncidium Lanceanum is, perhaps, the hottest of its genus. Those happy mortals who can grow it declare they have no trouble, but unless perfectly138 strong and healthy it gets "the spot," and promptly139 goes to wreck140. In the houses of the "New Plant and Bulb Company," at Colchester—now extinct—Onc. Lanceanum flourished with a vigour almost embarrassing, putting forth such enormous leaves, as it hung close to the glass, as made blinds quite superfluous at midsummer. But this was an extraordinary case. Certainly it is a glorious spectacle in flower—yellow, barred with brown; the lip violet. The spikes last a month in full beauty—sometimes two.
An Oncidium which always commands attention from the public and grateful regard from the devotee is Onc. papilio. Its strange form fascinated the Duke of Devonshire, grandfather to the present, who was almost the first of our lordly amateurs, and tempted141 him to undertake the explorations which introduced so many fine plants to Europe.
The "Butterfly orchid" is so familiar that I do not pause to describe it. But imagine that most interesting flower all blue, instead of gold and brown! I have never been able to learn what was the foundation of the old belief in such a marvel. But the great Lindley went to his grave in unshaken confidence that a blue papilio exists. Once he thought he had a specimen; but it flowered, and his triumph had to be postponed142. I myself heard of it two years back, and tried to cherish a belief that the news was true. A friend from Natal143 assured me that he had seen one on the table of the Director of the Gardens at Durban; but it proved to be one of those terrestrial orchids, so lovely and so tantalizing144 to us, with which South Africa abounds145. Very slowly do we lengthen146 the catalogue of them in our houses. There are gardeners, such as Mr. Cook at Loughborough, who grow Disa grandiflora like a weed. Mr. Watson of Kew demonstrated that Disa racemosa will flourish under conditions easily secured. I had the good fortune to do as much for Disa Cooperi, though not by my own skill. One supreme little triumph is mine, however. In very early days, when animated147 with the courage of utter ignorance, I bought eight bulbs of Disa discolor, and flowered them, every one! No mortal in Europe had done it before, nor has any tried since, I charitably hope, for a more rubbishing bloom does not exist. But there it was—Ego feci! And the specimen in the Herbarium at Kew bears my name.
But legends should not be disregarded when it is certain that they reach us from a native source. Some of the most striking finds had been announced long since by observant savages148. I have told the story of Phal?nopsis Sanderiana. It was a Zulu who put the discoverer of the new yellow Calla on the track. The blue Utricularia had been heard of and discredited149 long before it was found—Utricularias are not orchids indeed, but only botanists150 regard the distinction. The natives of Assam persistently151 assert that a bright yellow Cymbidium grows there, of supremest beauty, and we expect it to turn up one day; the Malagasy describe a scarlet one. But I am digressing.
Epidendrums mostly will bear as much heat as can be given them while growing; all demand more sunshine than they can get in our climate. Amateurs do not seem to be so well acquainted with the grand things of this genus as they should be. They distrust all imported Epidendrums. Many worthless species, indeed, bear a perplexing resemblance to the finest; so much so, that the most observant of authorities would not think of buying at the auction-room unless he had confidence enough in the seller's honesty to accept his description of a "lot." Gloriously beautiful, however, are some of those rarely met with; easy to cultivate also, in a sunny place, and not dear. Epid. rhizophorum has been lately rechristened Epid. radicans—a name which might be confined to the Mexican variety. For the plant recurs152 in Brazil, practically the same, but with a certain difference. The former grows on shrubs153, a true epiphyte; the latter has its bottom roots in the soil, at foot of the tallest trees, and runs up to the very summit, perhaps a hundred and fifty feet. The flowers also show a distinction, but in effect they are brilliant orange-red, the lip yellow, edged with scarlet. Forty or fifty of them hanging in a cluster from the top of the raceme make a show to remember. Mr. Watson "saw a plant a few years ago, that bore eighty-six heads of flowers!" They last for three months. Epid. prismatocarpum, also, is a lovely thing, with narrow dagger-like sepals and petals, creamy-yellow, spotted black, lip mauve or violet, edged with pale yellow.
Of the many hot Dendrobiums, Australia supplies a good proportion. There is D. bigibbum, of course, too well known for description; it dwells on the small islands in Torres Straits. This species flowered at Kew so early as 1824, but the plant died. Messrs. Loddiges, of Hackney, re-introduced it thirty years later. D. Johannis, from Queensland, brown and yellow, streaked154 with orange, the flowers curiously twisted. D. superbiens, from Torres Straits, rosy purple, edged with white, lip crimson. Handsomest of all by far is D. phal?nopsis. It throws out a long, slender spike from the tip of the pseudo-bulb, bearing six or more flowers, three inches across. The sepals are lance-shaped, and the petals, twice as broad, rosy-lilac, with veins155 of darker tint156; the lip, arched over by its side lobes, crimson-lake in the throat, paler and striped at the mouth. It was first sent home by Mr. Forbes, of Kew Gardens, from Timor Laüt, in 1880. But Mr. Fitzgerald had made drawings of a species substantially the same, some years before, from a plant he discovered on the property of Captain Bloomfield, Balmain, in Queensland, nearly a thousand miles south of Timor. Mr. Sander caused search to be made, and he has introduced Mr. Fitzgerald's variety under the name of D. ph. Statterianum. It is smaller than the type, and crimson instead of lilac.
Bulbophyllums rank among the marvels157 of nature. It is a point comparatively trivial that this genus includes the largest of orchids and, perhaps, the smallest.
B. Beccarii has leaves two feet long, eighteen inches broad. It encircles the biggest tree in one clasp of its rhizomes, which travellers mistake for the coil of a boa constrictor. Furthermore, this species emits the vilest158 stench known to scientific persons, which is a great saying. But these points are insignificant159. The charm of Bulbophyllums lies in their machinery160 for trapping insects. Those who attended the Temple show last year saw something of it, if they could penetrate161 the crush around B. barbigerum on Sir Trevor Lawrence's stand. This tiny but amazing plant comes from Sierra Leone. The long yellow lip is attached to the column by the slenderest possible joint162, so that it rocks without an instant's pause. At the tip is set a brush of silky hairs, which wave backwards163 and forwards with the precision of machinery. No wonder that the natives believe it a living thing. The purpose of these arrangements is to catch flies, which other species effect with equal ingenuity164 if less elaboration. Very pretty too are some of them, as B. Lobbii. Its clear, clean, orange-creamy hue165 is delightful124 to behold60. The lip, so delicately balanced, quivers at every breath. If the slender stem be bent back, as by a fly alighting on the column, that quivering cap turns and hangs imminent166; another tiny shake, as though the fly approached the nectary, and it falls plump, head over heels, like a shot, imprisoning167 the insect. Thus the flower is impregnated. If we wished to excite a thoughtful child's interest in botany—not regardless of the sense of beauty either—we should make an investment in Bulbophyllum Lobbii. Bulbophyllum Dearei also is pretty—golden ochre spotted red, with a wide dorsal168 sepal, very narrow petals flying behind, lower sepals broadly striped with red, and a yellow lip, upon a hinge, of course; but the gymnastic performances of this species are not so impressive as in most of its kin6.
A new Bulbophyllum, B. Godseffianum, has lately been brought from the Philippines, contrived169 on the same principle, but even more charming. The flowers, two inches broad, have the colour of "old gold," with stripes of crimson on the petals, and the dorsal sepal shows membranes170 almost transparent171, which have the effect of silver embroidery172.
Until B. Beccarii was introduced, from Borneo, in 1867, the Grammatophyllums were regarded as monsters incomparable. Mr. Arthur Keyser, Resident Magistrate173 at Selangor, in the Straits Settlement, tells of one which he gathered on a Durian tree, seven feet two inches high, thirteen feet six inches across, bearing seven spikes of flower, the longest eight feet six inches—a weight which fifteen men could only just carry. Mr. F.W. Burbidge heard a tree fall in the jungle one night when he was four miles away, and on visiting the spot, he found, "right in the collar of the trunk, a Grammatophyllum big enough to fill a Pickford's van, just opening its golden-brown spotted flowers, on stout174 spikes two yards long." It is not to be hoped that we shall ever see monsters like these in Europe. The genus, indeed, is unruly. G. speciosum has been grown to six feet high, I believe, which is big enough to satisfy the modest amateur, especially when it develops leaves two feet long. The flowers are—that is, they ought to be—six inches in diameter, rich yellow, blotched with reddish purple. They have some giants at Kew now, of which fine things are expected. G. Measureseanum, named after Mr. Measures, a leading amateur, is pale buff, speckled with chocolate, the ends of the sepals and petals charmingly tipped with the same hue. Within the last few months Mr. Sander has obtained G. multiflorum from the Philippines, which seems to be not only the most beautiful, but the easiest to cultivate of those yet introduced. Its flowers droop39 in a garland of pale green and yellow, splashed with brown, not loosely set, as is the rule, but scarcely half an inch apart. The effect is said to be lovely beyond description. We may hope to judge for ourselves in no long time, for Mr. Sander has presented a wondrous specimen to the Royal Gardens, Kew. This is assuredly the biggest orchid ever brought to Europe. Its snakey pseudo-bulbs measure nine feet, and the old flower spikes stood eighteen feet high. It will be found in the Victoria Regia house, growing strongly.
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1
orchid
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| n.兰花，淡紫色 | |
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apprenticeship
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| n.学徒身份；学徒期 | |
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orchids
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| n.兰花( orchid的名词复数 ) | |
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temperate
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| adj.温和的，温带的，自我克制的，不过分的 | |
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dispense
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| vt.分配，分发；配(药)，发(药)；实施 | |
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kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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frenzy
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| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
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rumour
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| n.谣言，谣传，传闻 | |
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rumours
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| n.传闻( rumour的名词复数 )；风闻；谣言；谣传 | |
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miraculous
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| adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的 | |
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prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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colon
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| n.冒号，结肠，直肠 | |
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grudged
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| 怀恨（grudge的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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isthmus
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| n.地峡 | |
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abounded
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| v.大量存在，充满，富于( abound的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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auction
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| n.拍卖；拍卖会；vt.拍卖 | |
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rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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majestic
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| adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的 | |
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suffused
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| v.（指颜色、水气等）弥漫于，布满( suffuse的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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spike
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| n.长钉，钉鞋；v.以大钉钉牢，使...失效 | |
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spikes
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| n.穗( spike的名词复数 )；跑鞋；（防滑）鞋钉；尖状物v.加烈酒于( spike的第三人称单数 )；偷偷地给某人的饮料加入（更多）酒精（ 或药物）；把尖状物钉入；打乱某人的计划 | |
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prosaically
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| adv.无聊地；乏味地；散文式地；平凡地 | |
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specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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overhauling
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| n.大修；拆修；卸修；翻修v.彻底检查( overhaul的现在分词 )；大修；赶上；超越 | |
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diminution
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| n.减少；变小 | |
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cargo
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| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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costly
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| adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的 | |
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bough
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| n.大树枝，主枝 | |
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consignment
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| n.寄售；发货；委托；交运货物 | |
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glossy
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| adj.平滑的；有光泽的 | |
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thicket
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| n.灌木丛，树林 | |
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mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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baron
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| n.男爵；(商业界等)巨头，大王 | |
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flora
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| n.(某一地区的)植物群 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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droop
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| v.低垂，下垂；凋萎，萎靡 | |
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drooping
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| adj. 下垂的，无力的 动词droop的现在分词 | |
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recurred
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| 再发生，复发( recur的过去式和过去分词 )； 治愈 | |
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bouquet
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| n.花束，酒香 | |
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majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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adorned
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| [计]被修饰的 | |
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luncheon
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| n.午宴，午餐，便宴 | |
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monopolized
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| v.垄断( monopolize的过去式和过去分词 )；独占；专卖；专营 | |
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reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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superfluous
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| adj.过多的，过剩的，多余的 | |
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exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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swampy
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| adj.沼泽的，湿地的 | |
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shovel
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| n.铁锨，铲子，一铲之量；v.铲，铲出 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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azure
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| adj.天蓝色的，蔚蓝色的 | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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gracefully
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| ad.大大方方地；优美地 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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withered
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| adj. 枯萎的，干瘪的，（人身体的部分器官）因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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beholds
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| v.看，注视( behold的第三人称单数 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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cultivation
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| n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成 | |
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disastrous
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| adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的 | |
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vigour
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| （=vigor）n.智力，体力，精力 | |
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withering
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| 使人畏缩的，使人害羞的，使人难堪的 | |
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knavish
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| adj.无赖（似）的，不正的；刁诈 | |
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dealers
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| n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者 | |
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ornamental
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| adj.装饰的；作装饰用的；n.装饰品；观赏植物 | |
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eccentricity
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| n.古怪，反常，怪癖 | |
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blotch
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| n.大斑点；红斑点；v.使沾上污渍，弄脏 | |
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tawny
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| adj.茶色的，黄褐色的；n.黄褐色 | |
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droll
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| adj.古怪的，好笑的 | |
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moth
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| n.蛾，蛀虫 | |
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plantations
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| n.种植园，大农场( plantation的名词复数 ) | |
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plantation
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| n.种植园，大农场 | |
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depreciated
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| v.贬值，跌价，减价( depreciate的过去式和过去分词 )；贬低，蔑视，轻视 | |
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inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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hybrid
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| n.(动，植）杂种，混合物 | |
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qualified
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| adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的 | |
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subsist
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| vi.生存，存在，供养 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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indigenous
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| adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的 | |
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petals
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| n.花瓣( petal的名词复数 ) | |
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shreds
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| v.撕碎，切碎( shred的第三人称单数 )；用撕毁机撕毁（文件） | |
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specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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89
recollect
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| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
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90
ablaze
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| adj.着火的，燃烧的；闪耀的，灯火辉煌的 | |
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spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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92
wondrous
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| adj.令人惊奇的，奇妙的；adv.惊人地；异乎寻常地；令人惊叹地 | |
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93
specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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94
inaccessible
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| adj.达不到的，难接近的 | |
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95
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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96
scented
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| adj.有香味的；洒香水的；有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词) | |
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97
boulders
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| n.卵石( boulder的名词复数 )；巨砾；（受水或天气侵蚀而成的）巨石；漂砾 | |
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98
jutting
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| v.（使）突出( jut的现在分词 )；伸出；（从…）突出；高出 | |
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99
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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100
dwarf
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| n.矮子，侏儒，矮小的动植物；vt.使…矮小 | |
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101
amethyst
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| n.紫水晶 | |
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102
enthusiast
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| n.热心人，热衷者 | |
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103
prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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104
fragrant
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| adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的 | |
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105
lobe
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| n.耳垂，（肺，肝等的）叶 | |
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106
lobes
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| n.耳垂( lobe的名词复数 )；（器官的）叶；肺叶；脑叶 | |
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107
funnel
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| n.漏斗；烟囱；v.汇集 | |
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108
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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109
exquisitely
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| adv.精致地；强烈地；剧烈地；异常地 | |
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110
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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111
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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112
mangrove
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| n.(植物)红树，红树林 | |
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113
creeks
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| n.小湾( creek的名词复数 )；小港；小河；小溪 | |
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114
laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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115
renowned
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| adj.著名的，有名望的，声誉鹊起的 | |
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116
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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117
alterations
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| n.改动( alteration的名词复数 )；更改；变化；改变 | |
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118
grotesquely
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| adv. 奇异地,荒诞地 | |
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119
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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120
oversight
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| n.勘漏，失察，疏忽 | |
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121
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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122
marvel
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| vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事 | |
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123
delightfully
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| 大喜，欣然 | |
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124
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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125
vagaries
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| n.奇想( vagary的名词复数 )；异想天开；异常行为；难以预测的情况 | |
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126
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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127
investigation
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| n.调查，调查研究 | |
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128
waxy
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| adj.苍白的；光滑的 | |
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129
ridges
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| n.脊( ridge的名词复数 )；山脊；脊状突起；大气层的)高压脊 | |
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130
unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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131
supremely
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| adv.无上地，崇高地 | |
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132
happed
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| v.偶然发生( hap的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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133
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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134
shipping
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| n.船运（发货，运输，乘船） | |
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135
scrutinized
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| v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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136
grassy
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| adj.盖满草的；长满草的 | |
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137
conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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138
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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139
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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140
wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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141
tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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142
postponed
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| vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发） | |
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143
natal
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| adj.出生的，先天的 | |
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144
tantalizing
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| adj.逗人的；惹弄人的；撩人的；煽情的v.逗弄，引诱，折磨( tantalize的现在分词 ) | |
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145
abounds
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| v.大量存在，充满，富于( abound的第三人称单数 ) | |
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146
lengthen
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| vt.使伸长，延长 | |
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147
animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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148
savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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149
discredited
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| 不足信的，不名誉的 | |
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150
botanists
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| n.植物学家，研究植物的人( botanist的名词复数 ) | |
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151
persistently
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| ad.坚持地；固执地 | |
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152
recurs
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| 再发生，复发( recur的第三人称单数 ) | |
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153
shrubs
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| 灌木( shrub的名词复数 ) | |
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154
streaked
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| adj.有条斑纹的，不安的v.快速移动( streak的过去式和过去分词 )；使布满条纹 | |
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155
veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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156
tint
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| n.淡色，浅色；染发剂；vt.着以淡淡的颜色 | |
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157
marvels
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| n.奇迹( marvel的名词复数 )；令人惊奇的事物（或事例）；不平凡的成果；成就v.惊奇，对…感到惊奇( marvel的第三人称单数 ) | |
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158
vilest
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| adj.卑鄙的( vile的最高级 )；可耻的；极坏的；非常讨厌的 | |
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159
insignificant
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| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
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160
machinery
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| n.(总称)机械，机器；机构 | |
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161
penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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162
joint
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| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
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163
backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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164
ingenuity
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| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
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165
hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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166
imminent
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| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
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167
imprisoning
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| v.下狱，监禁( imprison的现在分词 ) | |
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168
dorsal
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| adj.背部的，背脊的 | |
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169
contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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170
membranes
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| n.（动物或植物体内的）薄膜( membrane的名词复数 )；隔膜；（可起防水、防风等作用的）膜状物 | |
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171
transparent
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| adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的 | |
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172
embroidery
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| n.绣花，刺绣；绣制品 | |
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173
magistrate
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| n.地方行政官，地方法官，治安官 | |
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