Angræcum eburneum, _Du Petit-Thouars_, _Orchidées des Iles Australes d’Afrique_, t. 65; _Lindley_, _Botanical Register_, t. 1522; _Hooker_, _Botanical Magazine_, t. 4761; _Paxton’s Magazine of Botany_, xvi., 90, with woodcut; _Bateman_, _2nd Century of Orchidaceous Plants_, t. 111; _Gardeners’ Chronicle_, 1873, 216, fig. 46; _Williams_, _Orchid Grower’s Manual_, 5 ed., 88, with woodcut.
Angræcum superbum, _Du Petit-Thouars_, _Orchidées_, tt. 62-4.
Limodorum eburneum, _Bory_, _Voyage_, i., 359; t. 19.
A grand Orchid which was first introduced to this country from Madagascar by the Horticultural Society of London, through their collector, Mr. Forbes, in the third decade of the present century, that is, more than fifty years since. It is, without doubt, one of the finest of the species, and when well grown forms a noble plant, its long spikes of attractive flowers, in company with its bold and characteristic foliage and its majestic habit of growth, imparting to it an aspect of dignity which no one can fail to recognise. Indeed, the magnificent appearance it has when placed on the central stage of the East India house is quite sufficient to win for it the favour of Orchid fanciers.
Wherever space can be given to it, it should always be grown, as it blooms during the winter months and continues in perfection for many weeks longer than any other of its family that has come under our notice. Our drawing was taken from a very fine specimen, producing three well developed spikes, in the collection of D. B. Crawshay, Esq., Rosefield, Sevenoaks, Kent, who is a great lover of Orchids, and is forming a nice collection of them.
_Angræcum eburneum_ is, as we have before noted, from Madagascar, and consequently requires the heat of the East India house. It is of comparatively easy cultivation. The strap-shaped leaves grow to about eighteen inches in length, and are of a pleasant glossy, light green colour; the flower spikes are produced from the leaf axils on each side of the stem, and extend to the length of eighteen inches, bearing many flowers of which the broad cordate lip is of a conspicuous ivory white. The plants will sometimes produce as many as four spikes at one time. The blooming period is in December, January, and February.
