ORCHID HYBRIDS 



In 1888 the genus Epidendrum was added to the list of those genera, the 

 species of which would intercross. 



The first hybrid, Epidendrum x O'Brienianum, was from E. evectum with the 

 pollen of E. radicans, but the most beautiful of the year was undoubtedly 

 Phalsenopsis x John Seden, a very rare plant obtained from P. grandiflora 

 (amabilis) and P. Lueddemanniana. 



Phalaenopsis x Leda and P. x F. L. Ames, the latter dedicated to the late 

 Hon. F. L. Ames, of North Easton, Mass., U.S.A., were flowered in 1888. 



In 1889 the first of a series in the parentage of which the fringed Lselia 

 Digbyana participated, flowered, as also did Lseliocattleya Digbyano-Mossise, 

 the parentage indicated by the name. The original plant is in the collection 

 of Baron Sir Henry Schroder, The Dell, Egham. 



In addition to these seedlings Seden undertook experiments to verify the 

 supposed parentage of natural hybrids, i.e. supposed hybrids occurring in a 

 wild state. 



Masdevallia splendida and M. Parlatoreana are two such, and in his de- 

 scription Professor Reichenbach spoke of them as being probably " mules " 

 between M. Veitchiana and M. amabilis, and M. Veitchiana and M. Barlceana 

 respectively. 



By making crosses and reverse crosses with the two last-named species 

 artificial hybrids were obtained identical in appearance with the type, and these 

 flowered during 1889. 



There flowered in 1890 a noteworthy hybrid, a totally new and unexpected 

 departure, the bigeneric Epiphronitis Veitchii, from a cross of the dwarf 

 Sophronitis grandiflora with the tall-stemmed Epidendrum radicans, two plants 

 quite unlike in habit. The seedling has intermediate characters, and the flowers 

 a combination of the brilliant colours of both parents. 



Sophrocattleya Calypso, three Lseliocattleyas, and five Cypripediums were the 

 other new hybrids of the year. 



During 1891 the first between two species of the genus Disa flowered, Disa x 

 Veitchii, raised from D. racemosa crossed with the pollen of D. grandiflora, 

 and but one year and a half old, the youngest of any hybrid orchid to flower. 

 Another interesting seedling of 1891 was Odontoglossum x excellens, hitherto 

 supposed a natural hybrid between O. Pescatorei and O. triumphans, and Seden's 

 plant, raised artificially from the two species, proved to be identical with the 

 wild form. 



The most interesting result of 1892 was probably Sophrolseliocattleya 

 Veitchiana, a complicated hybrid derived from Sophronitis grandiflora and 

 Lseliocattleya Schilleriana, involving three distinct genera in its parentage. 

 Epidendrum X Endresio-Wallisii, Zygopetalum X leucochilum, Phalsenopsis X 

 Artemis, three Cattleyas, Lselia X Latona, four Dendrobiums, two Selenipediums 

 and eight Cypripediums were among the other hybrids of the year. 



Twenty-two new hybrids flowered during 1893, but no new genus shared 

 in their production. 



In 1894 probably the most interesting of many was Sobralia x Veitchii, the 

 first in the genus, obtained by Seden from S. macraritha and S. xantholeuca. 



Others of the year were Sophrolselia Lseta, a bigeneric hybrid from Sophronitis 

 grandiflora and Lselia pumila Dayana ; Cypripedium x James H. Veitch, from 

 C. Curtisii and C. Stonei platytaenium, the most remarkable of the whole 



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