The genus _Cymbidium_ forms a small group of Orchids of which there are but few species worthy of cultivation for ornamental purposes. That which we now figure is one of the best of them, and is a very rare and very beautiful plant, which has but seldom bloomed in this country. In the summer of 1878 Mr. Swan, gardener to W. Leach, Esq., of Oakley Fallowfield, Manchester, flowered it for the first time in Europe, and about the same time another specimen blossomed with John Day, Esq., of Tottenham, which was subsequently purchased by us for 100 guineas. This latter plant has again flowered, and our sketch was taken from it.
Though a near relative of _Cymbidium eburneum_, this plant is considered by Reichenbach to be a distinct species, the points of difference being—the broader leaves with more prominent nerves on the upper surface; the somewhat smaller flowers with shorter sepals and petals; and the different form of the segments of the lip, together with some peculiarities in its callus and pubescence. It is one of the treasures of India, having been originally discovered so long since as 1859, in Moulmein, by the Rev. C. Parish, who found _Dendrobium crassinode_ at the same time. The plants of both these fine Orchids, then collected, were lost in the Ganges, and the _Cymbidium_ was not seen again for many years. It appears to have been actually introduced shortly prior to 1874, since at that date living plants are recorded as being rarities in the collection of Mr. J. Day, of Tottenham, and Mr. R. Warner, of Broomfield, though it had not then flowered in Europe. It is a most chaste and lovely plant, its graceful green foliage, and creamy white blossoms in which the lip is spotted with crimson, producing a beautiful effect. The flowers have also a pleasant perfume, and last for three or four weeks in perfection. The flowering season is July and August, and several flowers are produced upon a spike, in which respect it has a decided advantage on the score of beauty over _C. eburneum_, which produces but one flower on a spike. The latter, however, is a charming Orchid for winter and spring flowering, its ivory-white blossoms being then especially acceptable. There is also another fine species, _C. Mastersii_, which produces its white flowers during the dull months of autumn, when Orchid as well as other white flowers, are scarce. These are all worth growing for the purpose of cutting, as they keep for a long time in water.