Many gardeners give it too much shade. This
species grows also on the mainland, but of inferior quality in all
respects; curiously enough it dwells upon trees there, even though rocks
be at hand, while the island variety, I believe, was never found on
timber.
Another hot Cattleya of the highest class is _C. Acklandiae_ It belongs
to the dwarf section of the genus, and inexperienced persons are vastly
surprised to see such a little plant bearing two flowers on a spike,
each larger than itself. They are four inches in diameter, petals and
sepals chocolate-brown, barred with yellow, lip large, of colour varying
from rose to purple. _C. Acklandiae_ is found at Bahia, where it grows
side by side with _C. amethystoglossa_, also a charming species, very
tall, leafless to the tip of its pseudo-bulbs. Thus the dwarf beneath
is seen in all its beauty. As they cling together in great masses the
pair must make a flower-bed to themselves--above, the clustered spikes
of _C. amethystoglossa_, dusky-lilac, purple-spotted, with a lip of
amethyst; upon the ground the rich chocolate and rose of _C. Acklandiae_.
_Cattleya superba_, as has been said, dwells also on the Rio Negro in
Brazil; it has a wide range, for specimens have been sent from the Rio
Meta in Colombia. This species is not loved by gardeners, who find it
difficult to cultivate and almost impossible to flower, probably because
they cannot give it sunshine enough.
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