HISTORY OF ORCHID HYBRIDISATION 



and both were distributed by Messrs. Veitch. They are now referred to 

 Paphiopedilum. 



Mr. Seden next appeared upon the scene, having succeeded Mr. Dominy 

 in the work at the Royal Exotic Nursery. His first hybrid was described 

 as Cypripedium or Selenipedium X Sedeni. It was obtained by crossing 

 Selenipedium longifoHum with the pollen of S. Schlimii, and via versa, 

 both crosses flowering for the first time in 1873, and proving absolutely 

 identical. It is a handsome hybrid, combining the best characters of both 

 parents, and is now known as Phragmopedilum X Sedenii. 



In 1873, also, what was really the first secondary hybrid appeaed, through 

 it was described under the name of Cattleya X fausta. It was said to be 

 "just intermediate between C. Loddigesii, as the ? , or seed parent, and 

 C. X exoniensis, as the <? , or pollen parent. Two forms were described at 

 the outset— the typical form, with rosy-lilac sepals and petals and a paler 

 lip, and the variety radicans, distinguished by the presence of a number of 

 dark purplish veins and streaks on the anterior part of the lip. Thus it 

 afforded an indication of what has since been repeatedly confirmed, namely, 

 that secondary hybrids are especially variable, plants raised from the same 

 seed-pod often exhibiting great dissimilarity between themselves. It is 

 now known as Laeliocattleya X fausta. 



The genus Dendrobium was next added to the list. In February, 1874, 

 Dendrobium X Ainsworthii flowered for the first time, and received a First- 

 class Certificate. It was raised in the collection of Dr. Ainsworth, of 

 Lower Broughton, near Manchester, by Mr. Mitchell, between D. aureum 

 $ and D. nobile <? , and the seed is said to have been sown about seven 

 years previously. It has since been recorded that plants of the same cross 

 were raised by Mr. West, at the Fairfield Nursery, near Manchester, at 

 about the same time. 



The year 1874 also saw the additions of two other genera, Chysis and 

 Zygopetalum, to the list, as the result of Mr. Seden's industry. 



Chysis X Sedeni was recorded as a hybrid seedling between C. 

 Limminghei ? and C. bractescens ^ , but Reichenbach suggested C. laevis 

 as the pollen parent, which is clearly corrrect. 



Zygopetalum X Sedeni was described as a hybrid between Z. Mackayi 

 and Z. maxillare, the latter being the seed parent. It received a First- 

 class Certificate from the Horticultural Society. 



Hybrid Orchids were now decidedly on the increase, for at least ten were 

 recorded during 1876, three of which were the work of new operators. 



The first hybrid raised in the collection of John C. Bowring, Esq 

 Forest Farm, Windsor, was Cypripedium X stenophyllum, its parents 

 being C. Schlimii and C. caricinum. It is now referred to Phragmo- 

 pedilum. 



