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Bletia (Honour of Don Louis Blet)

(in honour of Don Louis Blet, a Spanish botanist). ORD. Orchideae. A large genus of, for the most part, stove terrestrial Orchids. Flowers purple or whitish, in terminal racemes. Leaves narrow, grass-like. Pseudo-bulbs round, flattened. The flowers are freely produced when the plants are thoroughly established, and are valuable for bouquets, as well for their pleasing colour as for the time they last in perfection. Bletias thrive best in a compost of loam and leaf mould. About 2in. of crocks, covered with a layer of moss, should be placed in the bottom of the pot, which should be filled to within 1in. of the top with soil. The bulbs should then be inserted, and just covered. A good supply of water during the growing season is necessary, and only a moderate amount of heat. After growth has ceased, a period of rest is required, during which time very little water should be given. Propagation is effected by divisions, which should be made after the plants have finished flowering, or previous to their starting into growth. B. campanulata (bell-shaped). fl. deep purple, with a white centre, lasting a considerable time in perfection. Mexico.

B. florida (florid).* fl. pale rose-coloured; lip not spurred. July and August. h. 2ft. West Indies, 1786. A very pretty species. (B. R. 1401.) B. gracilis (slender). fl. pale greenish-white; sepals and petals nearly equal, lanceolate, acuminate; lip red and yellow; scape simple. l. oblong, lanceolate, plicate. h. 1 1/2in. Mexico, 1830. (B. R. 1681.) B. hyacinthina (Hyacinth-like).* fl. purple, racemose; lip not spurred, beardless; scape about as long as the leaves. March to June. l. lanceolate. h. 1ft. China, 1802. This pretty species has proved to be quite hardy. (Garden, Nov., 1879.) B. patula (spreading-flowered). fl. purple, spreading; scape tall, branched. March. l. lanceolate. h. 2ft. Hayti, 1830. (B. M., 3518.) B. Shepherdii (Shepherd's).* fl. on branching spikes, purple. marked down the centre of the lip with yellow. Winter. l. long, lanceolate, dark green. Jamaica, 1825. (B. M. 3319.) B. Sherrattiana (Sherratt's).* fl. about a dozen on a spike, rich rosy purple; petals very broad, twice the breadth of the sepals; lip deep purple in front, marked with white and yellow down the centre. l. three to four-plicate. Pseudo-bulbs depressed. New Grenada, 1867. (B. M. 5646.) B. undulata (waved). A synonym of Schomburgkia undulata. B. verecunda (modest). fl. purple; lip not spurred. January. h. 3ft. West Indies, Mexico, &c., 1733. (B. M. 930.)