HISTORY OF ORCHID HYBRIDISATION. 



a First-class Certificate from the R.H.S. on December 5th under the name 

 of O. X Smithii. It was the first successful attempt to unite the Mexican 

 Odontoglossums with those of the O. crispum group. It is figured on 

 page 290. 



In 1906 an additional generic hybrid appeared, namely Brassoepidendrum 

 X stamfordiense, which w^as exhibited by H. T. Pitt, Esq., Rosslyn, 

 Stamford Hill. It is said to have been derived from Epidendrum Parkin- 

 sonianum X Brassavola glauca. 



The first hybrid Coelogyne also appeared in igo6, in the collection ot 

 Col. Brymer, Ilsington House, Dorchester. It is said to have been raised 

 from C. Dayana X C. asperata, and received the name of C. X Brymeriana. 

 It bore a pendulous raceme of nineteen flowers. 



Several interesting hybrids appeared in 1907, one of the earliest being 

 the beautiful Odontioda X Bradshawiae, which received a First-class 

 Certificate from the R.H.S. on January 19th. It was raised by Messrs. 

 Charlesworth & Co., from Cochlioda Noetzliana ? and Odontoglossum 

 crispum <? , and is figured on page 280. Later in the year came the 

 brilliant Odontioda X Devossiana, raised by M. H. Graire, of Amiens, 

 France, from Odontoglossum Edwardii fertilised with the pollen of 

 Cochlioda Noetzliana, which received a First-class Certificate on October 

 29th. Another hybrid from Odontoglossum Edwardii was raised by Messrs. 

 William Bull & Sons, and received an Award of Merit on January 8th, 

 under the name of O. X Aliciji;. O. X spectabile was the pollen parent. 

 It is figured on page 282. Odontonia X Elwoodii was raised by Messrs. 

 Charlesworth & Co. from Odontoglossum cirrhosum and Miltonia Roezlii. 

 C()ilogyne X Colmanii was raised in the collection of Jeremiah Colman, 

 Esq., Gatton Park, Reigate,from C.speciosa andC. cristata alba, and received 

 an Award of Merit from the R.H.S. It is figured at page 265. Lastly may 

 be mentioned Brassocattleya X Alexanderi, a striking hybrid from Cattleya 

 citrina crossed with the pollen of Brassavola Digbyana, which was raised in 

 the collection of Major G. L. Holford, at Westonbirt, and received an Award 

 of Merit from the R.H.S. in March, 1907. 



This hasty survey, while indicating how the work was being constantly 

 extended over a wider field, fails to show what was being done with the 

 earlier genera, but in the following pages may be seen what substantial 

 progress was being made. The genus Paphiopedilum heads the list, with 

 over 750 hybrids ; Lseliocattleya follows with over 360, Cattleya has over 

 230, Dendrobium and Odontoglossum have each over 90 (and the latter is 

 growing very rapidly), Laelia and Masdevallia muster over 40, Phragmo- 

 pedilum over 30, and Phalaenopsis over 20, from which the numbers dwindle 

 down to units in the case of Aerides, Angraecum, Cynorchis, Prornensea and 

 Thunia. 



