82 ABOUT ORCHIDS. 
descriptions. In brief, if we except Africa and the 
temperate parts of Australia, there is no large 
tract of country in the world that does not produce 
Cypripediums ; and few authorities doubt that a 
larger acquaintance with those realms will bring 
them under the rule. We have a species in 
England, C. calceolus, by no means insignificant ; 
it can be purchased from the dealers, but it is 
almost extinct in this country now. America 
furnishes a variety of species: which ought to be 
hardy. They will bear a frost below zero, but 
our winter damp is intolerable. Mr. Godseff tells 
me that he has seen C. sfectabzle growing like any 
water-weed in the bogs of New Jersey, where it 
is frozen hard, roots and all, for several months 
of the year; but very few survive the season in 
this country, even if protected. Those fine speci- 
mens so common at our spring shows are imported 
in the dry state. From the United States also we 
get the charming C: candidum, C. parviflorum, C. 
pubescens,and many more less important. Canada 
and Siberia furnish C. guttatum, C. macranthum, 
and others. I saw in Russia, and brought home, 
a magnificent species, tall and stately, bearing a 
great golden flower, which is not known “in the 
trade ;” but they all rotted gradually. Therefore 
I do not recommend these fine outdoor varieties, 
