180 ORCHIDS. 
brownish purple, the upper portion green, paling to white 
at the margin; lower sepal smaller, pale green; petals 
tongue-shaped, narrowed to a stalk at the base, rin. wide 
in the broadest part, brownish yellow, with a purple midrib ; 
pouch large, open, brownish yellow. The flowers are very 
freely produced from January to March, and remain fresh 
about a month. There are many variations from the type 
here described, some of the forms being considerably better 
than others. The varnish-like surface of the whole flower 
gives this species a very distinct appearance. Its nearest 
ally is C. Boxallii. It may be grown in an intermediate- 
house. Introduced from Moulmein in 1833. 
Fig. 46; Illustration Horticole, iv. (1857), t. 126. 
Mybrid Cypripediums. 
No genus of Orchids has been so successfully manipulated 
by the hybridist as the Cypripediums. There are already 
at least a hundred named hybrids, and a great many more 
will soon be added to this number, several specialists having 
been engaged for some years in cross-breeding from the 
various kinds. Probably, the proportionately large number. 
of hybrid Cypripediums is due to the fact of their crossing 
much more freely, and maturing seed better, than many 
Orchids do. Any beginner can cross-fertilise Cypripediums. 
Considerable patience and skill, however, are required to 
obtain flowering plants from the seeds. Usually, the period 
between the sowing of the seeds and the flowering of the 
plants which are obtained from them, is about five years. 
There can be no doubt that a large proportion of the 
hybrid Cypripediums are of no value as flowering plants, 
many of them being positively ugly. And yet extremely 
high prices are paid for some of them; some peculiarity 
of form or colour—whether pretty or no does not in the 
