CATTLEYA LABIATA PERCIVALIANA. [Plate 144.] Native of Brazil.

CATTLEYA LABIATA PERCIVALIANA. [Plate 144.] Native of Brazil.

Epiphytal. Stems erect, club-shaped, becoming furrowed in age, nearly a foot in height, monophyllous, evergreen. Leaves oblong-obtuse, leathery, dark green. Scape two-flowered, issuing from an oblong sheath. Flowers about five inches across, exceedingly handsome, the lip being very richly coloured; sepals linear-lanceolate, entire, the dorsal one recurved, of a soft pale magenta-rose; petals much larger and longer, broadly ovate-obtuse, the margin slightly wavy, scarcely denticulate, about two and a quarter inches broad, of the same pale rosy hue as the sepals, the mid-rib strongly developed towards the base; lip comparatively small, but intensely rich in colour, bluntly keeled at the back towards the base, plane for about half its length, with the margins closely folded over the column, rosy at the edge, strongly flushed with crimson and veined with golden yellow; the front lobe roundish-oblong, one and a half inch wide, its edges meeting over the throat, the margin being finely but neatly frilled, as also are the sides of the broadly-rounded deeply-emarginate apex; the colour in the expanded portion is a very rich velvety crimson in the central area, passing near the front edge to a band one-fourth of an inch wide of the pale rose of the petals, and continued narrower along the sides, the disk and the sides of the tubulose basal portion flushed with maroon-crimson, everywhere richly veined with deep yellow, giving the appearance of bronzy gold, and having two elevated golden ridges extending to the base. Column thick, clavate, white, with a blunt keel at the back, extending nearly to the apex, which has a small inflexed acute appendage lying between the two blunt lobes of the anther bed.

Cattleya labiata Percivaliana, Reichenbach fil., in Gardeners’ Chronicle, N.S., xvii., 796.

There has been much controversy of late respecting this beautiful Cattleya, the true character of the flowers of which will be seen at once from our Plate, our artist having produced a very faithful representation of the richly-coloured blossoms. We have seen the flowers of two successive seasons from the very plant from which our drawing was taken, and have noted that they keep true to character as regards colour, and that in the second year the flowers were larger than in the first, which may be accounted for by the plant having become stronger and better established, the blossoms partaking of the general improvement. It must not, however, be expected that every purchaser will obtain a plant of the some character as that represented in our Plate, as we have seen but few that have proved to be equal to the one we figure. There is an abundant supply of plants imported as C. Percivaliana, but they vary greatly in merit—more so in this than in any other Cattleya that has come under our notice. Many of the species of Cattleya yield 96 variety both as to the colour and size of their blossoms, though they are generally all good enough to cultivate or to use as decorative plants; but in this particular species or subspecies there are many that prove to be worthless, and unfortunately no one can tell whether individual plants will be good or had until the flowers expand. The good ones are really valuable, for there is no other Cattleya in which the lip and throat are so richly coloured; even in the small-flowered forms there is a portion of this rich colouration to be found on the lip.

Mr. Sander, the importer, has been no doubt deceived, and has suffered great loss through importing a large quantity of plants, of which many have had to be destroyed owing to their not being worth cultivating, since the bad forms cost as much to import as the good ones; while the collectors, when they do not see them in bloom, do not suspect that such inferior forms can exist amongst the good ones. We have seen other fine varieties, but none better than the one we have illustrated, and which we received from the superb collection of R. P. Percival, Esq., of Birkdale, Southport, after whom it is named. We received the flowers two years before we ventured to submit the drawing to our readers, and to vouch for its accuracy. We trust there may prove to be enough of the better forms imported to supply all who may desire to possess the plant in its true character.

Cattleya labiata Percivaliana is, like labiata itself, an evergreen plant, with clavate stems, ten inches in height, bearing dark green foliage, much resembling that of C. Mossiæ. It is a plant of compact-growing habit, having the sepals and petals suffused with a delicate magenta-rose colour, while the lip is of an intense magenta, marginated broadly with pale rosy purple, the throat being deep orange, veined with brownish purple; the flowers have a most peculiar odour, similar to that of Lælia autumnalis, by which they can be at once identified. This Cattleya blooms during the winter months, at the same time as C. Trianæ, and lasts in bloom for two or three weeks.

Mr. Beddoes, the gardener at Birkdale, grows this plant in the same house with Cattleya Trianæ, of which Mr. Percival has a remarkably fine collection. The house in which they are grown, is a good-sized one, and is so built and glazed that there is plenty of light admitted. It is also a well ventilated structure, so that plenty of water may be used about the house in their growing season, when the temperature is right both inside and outside the house. This a most important item in the successful cultivation of Orchids, as well as of other plants. Mr. Percival has evidently studied this point, and good results have followed, as will have been seen by those who have had the pleasure of visiting his collection, while those who have not seen it should try to do so, and judge for themselves. We find rough fibrous peat to suit this plant, which must have sufficient drainage, and must be grown fully exposed to light at all times. Mr. Sander informs us that the plants are found growing on rocks in the full sun, so that they are likely to require an abundance of light and a good season of rest.