CYPRIPEDIUM. 



237 



chequered. They produce their flowers from the centre of 

 the leaf-tufts, on an upright ecape, and rise from six inches to 

 a foot high or more, the branching Selenipediums sometimes 

 reaching two or three feet in stature. 



There are now a large number of hybrid Cypripediums which 

 are very fine and distinct, but whether they are all to be con- 

 sidered as improvements on the existing species is purely a 

 matter of taste. Some of them certainly are so. 



Culture. — These plants are of easy culture, and require but 

 little space. The majority of the species are best grown in 

 the East Indian house ; some kinds, however, do better in 

 a cooler place, and will thrive in a warm greenhouse. We 

 grow them all in pots with rough fibrous peat, sphagnum moss, 

 charcoal, and sand mixed together. They all require a liberal 

 quantity of water during their period of growth ; and as they 

 need but little rest, they never should be allowed to get too 

 dry at the roots. The Cypripediums, unlike many Orchids, 

 have no thick fleshy bulbs to supply them with nourishment, 

 and hence require a constant artificial supply. They are pro- 

 pagated by dividing the plants. 



C. albo-purpureum, Echb. /. — A handsome hybrid, of 

 branching habit, obtained by Mr. Seden from C. ScJiUmii 

 crossed with C. Dominianum . It is of vigorous growth, the 

 long green linear-lorate leaves forming a spreading tuft from 

 which the flower stems arise. The flowers are considerably 

 larger than in C. Sedeni ; the elongate-ovate dorsal sepal has 

 a slight pinkish tinge on its margin, and the petals, which 

 are from five to six inches long, are pinkish throughout, and 

 twisted, hanging down beyond the lip. The pouch of the lip, 

 ■which is rounded at the end, is of a dull crimson-red, the 

 inflected edges at its base being ivory-white with pinkish 

 borders, and nearly covered by rosy-coloured spots. The 

 staminode is a light pink, adorned on each side by many 

 bristles. — Garden hybrid. 



Fig.— Veitch, Cat., 1882, 9, with fig. ; Garden, xxi. 332, with fig. 

 Syn. — Selenipedium albo-purpureum. 



