Description
original-colour lithograph. Botanical print from “Orchid album Comprising Colored Figures and Descriptions of New, Rare and Beautiful Orchidaceous Plants”, Volume 1, pl. 30. John Nugent Fitch (1840–1927) was a British botanical illustrator and lithographer, best known for his contribution of 528 plates to The Orchid Album, a landmark work of eleven volumes published between 1872 and 1897. Benjamin Samuel Williams (1822 – 1890) was an English orchidologist in London, known mainly for his horticultural notes on orchids in publications, such as The Orchid Grower’s Manual (London 1871), Select Orchidaceous Plants (London 1862 onwards) and The Orchid Album (London 1882-97). A most lovely varierty, and one that should be in every collection. In its habit and in the size of the flowers it resembles the best forms of Laelia elegans, but the sepals and petals are broad, pure white, and the front lobe of the tip is rich crimson-purple, softening off towards the tip into lilac-purple. It blossoms in June and July, lasting three weeks in perfection. Around the world, Cattleya orchids are found naturally only in most countries in the Western Hemisphere. They are frequently seen growing side by side or nearby Laelias in major parts of tropical America: Mexico and Guatemala, South America, from Colombia to British Guiana, Coastal provinces of Southern Brazil. These days, many Cattleya orchid hybrids can adapt in tropical Asian countries, such as Singapore, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
