THE MOST USEFUL ORCHIDS 83 



In the Phragmopedilum section the following hybrids are 

 good : C, AiNSWORTHii (C longifolium x C. Sedenii)^ C. albo- 

 PURPUREUM [C. Dominianian x C. Scb/imii), C. cardinale 

 {C. Scblimii x C. Sedenii), C. Dominianum [C. caricinurn x 

 C. caudatum\ C. Rosy Gem (C cardinale x C. Sedenii), 

 C. ScHRCEDER^ (C caudatiim x C. Sedenii)^ and C. Sedenii 

 (C longifolium x C. Scblimii), with its fine variety candidulum. 



DENDROBIUM 



Among the many families of Orchids dealt with in this book, 

 there are few which show such variation in stature, in style of 

 growth, in size and shape of flowers, and in the formation of 

 leafage as do the Dendrobiums. A very large number of the 

 species are mere weeds, and are scarcely worth a second thought 

 except as botanical curiosities, but this still leaves a very large 

 range of choice in form and colour, and were it possible to exclude 

 all the wonderful hybrids from consideration, there would yet 

 be ample material wherewith to brighten our glass-houses for a 

 considerable portion of the year. 



When OlofF Swartz, who graduated at the Upsal University, 

 founded the genus in 1800, he described nine species only, but 

 now, rather more than a hundred years later, there are not fewer 

 than four hundred species, in addition to numerous well-marked 

 varieties, and a whole host of hybrids, these latter being themselves 

 often represented by several varieties. 



In a wild state Dendrobiums are found distributed over a 

 wide area in the Far East. Among the Nepalese Himalaya they 

 are to be found, but it is, or was, in Burma and in the Moulmein 

 district that the greater number abound. One must write in the 

 past tense with reference to some of them, for there is great difficulty 



