64 
this collection, a word with reference to their classification may 
not be out of place. While these plants are commonly known 
to horticulturists and many others as all belonging to the genus 
Cypripedium, and have aes received the collective name 
of ‘ cypripediums,” they vided by botanists into four 
genera, two of which, Seen ee and Phragutipedium, con- 
cern us particularly at the present moment. The distinguishing 
characters of these genera may be readily appreciated by even 
the casual observer. Orchids, belonging to the large division of 
monocotyledonous or endogenous plants, follow the general rule 
among these plants, having the perianth or floral envelope com- 
posed of six parts, three outer, the sepals, and three inner, the 
petals. In the cypripediums there are apparently but two sepals, 
two of them, known as the lateral sepals, being united into one 
organ, which is found immediately below the lip. The dorsal 
sepal, sometimes known as the standard, is directly opposite 
this, and is usually a very showy part of the flower. The petals 
comprise two strap-shaped, lanceolate or linear, sometimes long, 
tail- organs, and the highly nga nae petal, known 
e lip or slipper, a sac-like orgar an opening on 
i upper side. It is in the margin of a opening that the 
general observer will find the readiest means of differentiating 
between the genera FPaphiopedilum and Phragmipedium. In 
the former this pay is sharp, he no i ane rim, while in 
the latter there is broad infolded portion. Moreo in 
Paphiopedilum hee is usually but a ee flower on be eee 
naked stem, very rarely more, while in the other genus the stem 
is usually elongated, often provided with numerous bracts, and 
owers are several, sometimes many. A visit to the collec- 
tion will help fix these characters in the mind, for there are many 
examples in flower of each genus, so that the differences may be 
studied in the living plants. These more apparent characters are 
plants which inhabit the old world tropics, in Asia, the Malay 
Archipelago and Peninsula, and the Philippines, belong to Paphio- 
pedilum, while those which claim the new world as their home, 
