The Orchid Album, Volume 3: Comprising Coloured Figures and Descriptions of New, Rare, and Beautiful Orchidaceous PlantsMoore, Thomas
Science
The Orchid Album, Volume 3: Comprising Coloured Figures and Descriptions of New, Rare, and Beautiful Orchidaceous Plants
Moore, Thomas
Orchids; Orchids -- Pictorial works
_Oncidium Lanceanum Louvrexianum_ is an evergreen plant like the type.
It grows to a foot or more in height, and has light green foliage which
is spotted all over with a darker green and purple. The flowers are
produced on an upright scape a foot or more in length, which springs
directly from the rhizome at the base of the leaf. The sepals and petals
are greenish yellow blotched with brownish crimson, and the lip being
white forms a pleasing contrast with the brown-crimson of the sepals and
petals. It blooms during the summer months, and lasts several weeks in
beauty.
We bloomed this variety many years ago, but it is still a rare plant;
indeed we now very seldom see _Oncidium Lanceanum_ itself well grown,
for it is found difficult to cultivate by our present Orchid growers.
Many years ago one frequently met with fine specimens of it exhibited at
our London shows, and others were to be met with in collections in
different parts of the country. We still hope to see it again taken in
hand by Orchid cultivators, for it is beautiful both in foliage and in
flower and altogether makes a distinct and handsome specimen. The manner
in which these plants fail—and it is one which is very annoying—is that
the leaves go spotted, a condition which is not only detrimental to
their well-being, but renders them unsightly, and thus cultivators get
tired of their plants and discard them, while others, who keep the
foliage good from year to year, are proud of their success. We believe
the spotting to be caused by giving the plants too much heat and not
sufficient air, when, if the foliage is also kept too moist, it will
spot; the leaves, it will be noted, are of a thick fleshy texture, and
when once they get spotted it is very difficult to restore them to
health. If a suitable place can be found for it, and one in which it
succeeds well, by all means let it be kept there. We have found these
plants do well grown in baskets, with good drainage, so that the roots
can be benefited by being suspended in the atmosphere of the house—in
fact they do not like their roots to be too much covered over, but they
should have a little live sphagnum moss or very good fibrous peat. This
compost should never be allowed to get into a wet or soddened condition;
but if this should occur clear all the old material away, and employ
fresh, putting some good lumps of charcoal, more of this than of moss or
peat.
The plants may also be successfully grown on blocks of wood and
suspended from the roof. We have found them succeed in an intermediate
temperature ranging about 60° by night in winter, and a trifle
more—about 65°—by day; in summer the heat may range to little higher,
but not very much. With the heat give all the light possible, avoiding
exposure to sunshine, as this will scorch the fleshy leaves, to prevent
which we find it quite advisable to shade during the sunny part of the
day.
See further observations relating to _Oncidium Lanceanum_ under Plate
130.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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