CYPRIPEDIUMS 



193 



lines of the same tint, and white margin. Petals depressed, 

 of a like green, crimson along the upper edge, covered with 

 the heavy spots and hairs of Rothschildianum. Slipper very 

 long, dull crimson. 



Engelhardtiae (insigne Maulei x Spicerianum). — The 

 dorsal has very broad shoulders, narrowing to a wasp-waist, 

 where the upper white changes abruptly to bright green, 

 spotted with pink.. A strong crimson line runs from base 

 to tip. Petals so evenly curved downwards that they seem 

 to make a half-circle, coppery yellow in hue, handsomely 

 gauffered on the upper edge, and lined with copper colour. 

 Immensely wide lip, coppery ochre with a bright green 

 lining. 



Edwardii (superbiens x Fairieanum). — Dorsal long, 

 white-edged, stained at the margin with purplish crimson and 

 lined with the same. Short narrow petals, very strongly 

 bowed, greenish, edged throughout with purplish crimson. 

 Slipper green at toe, coppery above. 



Fairieanum. — No orchid is so interesting as this in the 

 point of view which may be called historic. In the autumn 

 of 1857, Mr. Reid of Burnham and Mr. Parker, nursery- 

 man, of Holloway, sent flowers of it to Sir W. Hooker at 

 Kew, asking what they might be. Shortly afterwards Mr. 

 Fairie of Liverpool showed a plant in flower at the R.H.S. 

 meeting, and Dr. Lindley named it after him. It is believed 

 that all these plants were bought at Stevens' Sale-rooms 

 among a number of orchids forwarded from Assam. But 

 none have turned up since, and attempts to find the habitat 

 have been totally unsuccessful. 



Those who expect to see a flower big in proportion to its 

 fame wiJl be disappointed ; but if small, indeed very small, 

 Cyp. Fairieanum is striking both in form and colour. The 

 upstanding dorsal has a crest, from which the sides curl back. 

 Its ground-colour is white with a greenish tinge. Broad 



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