THE MOST USEFUL ORCHIDS 67 



in quantity on the Khasia Hills, and in more modern times it has 

 been found to have a still wider range. It is a very variable 

 species, but usually it has a broadly oval dorsal sepal which is green 

 along the centre and base, and white at the upper part ; the green 

 area is more or less freely spotted with purple or purple-brown, 

 and if the spots extend into the white area they are then bright 

 purple. The stiff, spreading petals are light green with brown or 

 dull purple veins, and the lip is light green, often quite yellow- 

 green, shaded with brown. The Hower is bold, and is finely posed 

 on a stout stem, from eight to twelve inches high, and it shines 

 as though beautifully polished or varnished. Few flowers last so 

 long in a cut state as those of C. insigne. In some Orchid 

 collections C. insigne and its varieties are made a fine feature. 

 Mr G. F. Moore, of Chardwar, Bourton-on-the-Water, has a 

 particularly fine collection of varieties, the great majority bearing 

 distinctive names. The late Mr Drewett O. Drewett, of Riding- 

 mill-on-Tyne, also brought together a very interesting set of C. 

 INSIGNE varieties, and for many years he worked for the improve- 

 ment of the species by crossing and re-crossing the best forms, and 

 selecting the finest resulting seedlings. He was particularlv 

 successful, and some of his best results are C. i. Emperor, and C. 

 I. George Renwick. The largest of the C. insigne varieties are 

 C. I. Harefield Hall and C. i. Francis Wellesley. Other 

 notable varieties are C. i. Maulei, C. i. punctatum-violaceum 

 or Chantinii. But there are crowds of named varieties, though 

 comparatively few of them are in general cultivation. Besides 

 those mentioned, and others with bright colouring and distinct 

 spotting, there is a group of varieties in which the absence of 

 colour and spotting is the mark of perfection ; these are albinos, or 

 nearly so. The finest of this group is C. i. Sanders, which has 

 primrose-yellow flowers with a white apex to the upper sepal. 



