Part 17

L.-C. Tiresias (Catt. Bowringiana × L. elegans).--The petals are exactly oval, saving pretty twirls and twists at the edges--soft bright mauve, the narrow sepals paler. The funnel lip does not open wide, but in colour it is like the richest and silkiest crimson velvet, almost maroon at the throat; charmingly frilled and gauffered.

C. × Portia.--Parents doubtful, but evidently Catt. Bowringiana is one of them, Catt. labiata perhaps the other. Sepals and petals lively mauve, the latter darker. The funnel of the lip brightest rose, disc of the softest tenderest crimson imaginable, deepening against the pale yellowish throat.

L.-C. Tresederiana (Catt. Loddigesii × L. crispa superba).--Rather curious than beautiful. The narrow petals and narrower sepals are pallid violet; the labellum has a faintly yellow throat, and the dull purple disc of Catt. crispa; not evenly coloured but in strong lines.

C. × Mantinii nobilior (Catt. Bowringiana × Catt. aurea).--Raised by M. Mantin. Delicious is a proper word for it--neat and graceful in shape, rosy-crimson in colour. The lip opens widely, exquisitely veined with gold within. It has a golden tinge on either side the throat, and a margin of deeper crimson. The whole colouring is indescribably soft and tender.

C. × Mantinii inversa represents the same parentage transposed (Catt. aurea × Catt. Bowringiana).--Small like its mother, of brightest deepest rose. The lip, loosely open above, swells to a fine expanse below, of darker tint. Throat golden, charmingly scored with crimson-brown, like aurea. The disc shows an arch of dark crimson on a rosy ground. It will be seen that the influence of Bowringiana strongly predominates.

C. × Chloris (Catt. Bowringiana × Catt. maxima) much resembles the above. It is less brilliant, however; the lip does not open so freely, and the arch mentioned, though even darker, is not so effective on a less lively ground.

L.-C. Fire Queen.--Parentage not recorded. I have not seen this flower, nor even an account of it, but it received an Award of Merit, June 6, 1897.

L.-C. Lady Wigan (L. purpurata Russelliana × Catt. Mossiae aurea).--Dainty pink of sepal and petal. From the pale yellow throat issue a number of crimson rays which darken to violet purple in the disc.

C.-L. Parysatis (Catt. Bowringiana × L. pumila).--Rosy pink. The funnel-shaped lip opens handsomely, showing a disc of soft crimson with a white speck at the tip.

L.-C. Robin Measures is assumed to be a natural hybrid of Laelia xanthina × Catt. Regnieri, a variety of Catt. Schilleriana. Sepals and petals smooth dainty green, the latter just touched with a suspicion of purple at the tips. It has the shovel lip of Schilleriana, a yellow tube and golden throat, from which descends a line of darkest crimson. The ground-colour of the disc is white, but clouded with crimson-lake and closely barred with dark crimson up to the white edge.

L.-C. Bellairensis (Catt. Bowringiana × L. Goldiana).--So curiously like L. autumnalis that a close observer even would take it for that species. In shape, however, it is more graceful than the pink form, and in colour much more pale than atro-rubens.

L.-C. Tiresias superba (Catt. Bowringiana × L. elegans Turneri).--I heard some one exclaim 'What a study in colour!' It is indeed, and in form too--not large, but smoothly regular as pencil could draw. The sepals make an exact triangle, delicate rosy purple, netted over with soft lines. Petals broad and short, darker. Lip rather long, white in the throat with a faintest stain of yellow, the disc and edges of the lobes glorious crimson-purple, with a dark cloud above which stretches all up the throat. A gem of beauty indescribable.

C. × Browniae.--Bought as a hybrid of Catt. Bowringiana × Catt. Loddigesii, but it shows no trace of either parent. Very pretty and odd, however. The tiny little sepals are hardly seen, lost behind the huge pink petals. The lip also has pink lobes above a gamboge throat, and a bright crimson-purple disc.

L.-C. Albanensis.--A natural hybrid, doubtless the product of L. grandis × Catt. Warneri. Pale rosy-mauve, lip crimson, deepening as it expands, but fading again towards the margin. A large and grand flower.

L.-C. Aphrodite (Catt. Mendelii × L. purpurata).--Sepals and petals pure white. Labellum deepest crimson with rosy tip.

L. × Sanderae (L. xanthina × L. Dormaniana).--Sepals and petals crimson, lip purplish rose.

C. × Mariottiana (Catt. Eldorado × Catt. gigas).--Very pretty, dark rose, lip bright crimson with yellow throat.

L. × splendens (L. crispa × L. purpurata).--Pink. Lip crimson-purple, edged with white, heavily fringed.

C. × Atalanta (Catt. Leopoldii × Catt. Warcewiczii).--Large and waxy. Sepals and petals rose veined with crimson, lip bright magenta.

L.-C. excellens (Catt. gigas ocullata × L. purpurata Brysiana).--A superb flower, very large, rosy mauve, lip crimson.

L.-C. Amazon (Catt. maxima × L. purpurata).--Sepals and petals softly flushed, lip much darker in tone, veined with crimson.

C. × Prince of Wales (Catt. fimbriata × Catt. Wageneri).--White. The lip amethyst, veined with rose and frilled; throat golden.

C. × Kienastiana (Catt. Luddemanniana × Catt. aurea).--Sepals flushed white, petals warm lilac, the veins paler; magenta lip with shadings of orange and lilac towards the edge and a white margin.

L.-C. Hon. Mrs. Astor (Catt. Gaskelliana × L. xanthina).--Sepals clear yellow, petals white with a sulphur tinge; throat golden yellow veined with purple, disc rose, veined with crimson and edged with lilac.

L.-C. Broomfieldensis (Catt. aurea-chrysotoxa × L. pumila Dayana).--Mauve. The lip deep crimson, gracefully frilled; the throat has crimson and gold markings on a purple ground.

C. × Fowleri (Catt. Leopoldii × Catt. Hardyana).--Rosy lilac, lip crimson. The side lobes are white tipped with crimson.

C. × Miss Measures (Catt. speciosissima × Catt. velutina).--Pretty mauve-pink with darker lines. Golden throat, lip crimson veined with purple.

C. × William Murray (Catt. Mendelii × Catt. Lawrenceana).--Rosy with a purple tinge. Throat veined with orange and purple, lip purple-crimson.