CYPRIPEDIUM. 69 



those forms of which it has been the pollen parent, and in which its 

 influence so greatly preponderates as to modify very considerably the 

 characteristics of the seed parent ; the number of beautiful and distinct 

 forms so obtained constitute a group of Cypripedes of exceptional interest 

 as horticultural plants. First came the well-known C. Sedenii, still an 

 indispensable ingredient of every orchid collection, soon followed by G. 

 Ainsworthii and its variety calurum ; * then came G. albo-purpureum, 

 now surpassed by the more superb G. Schroederm, as is the original G. 

 Sedenii by its variety candidulum and C. cardinale. Still later G. leucor- 

 hodum has been obtained, a form quite distinct from all its predecessors. 



O. vittatum. 



" Foliis lineari-ligulatis, acutis, longissimis ; pedunculo minute ac 

 sparsim puberulo, densim vaginato; vaginis acuminatis, racemo paucifloro, 

 bracteis spathaceis acuminatis, ovaria subcaloa (sic), hinc sparsim pilosula 

 superantibus ; sepalo dorsali oblongo ligulato, obtuse acuto ; inf eriori plus 

 duplo latiori, apice obtuso minute emarginato ; petalis a latiori basi 

 linearibus arcuatis, obtuse-acutis, undulatis ; labello sepalo inferiori multo 

 breviori, supra saccum dilatato ac utrinque angulato, circa limbum argutum 

 subcrenato ; staminodio rhombeo acuto, postice barbato. — H. G. Reichen- 

 bach fil, in Illus. hart. XXIII. (1876), p. 57, t. 238 (Selenipedium 

 vittatum). 



Cypripedium vittatum, Vellozo. Fl. flum. IX. (1827), tab. 62, fide Illus. hort. IV. 

 (1857), misc. p. 23. C. Binotii, Hort. Selenipedium vittatum, breve, Kchb. in Gard. 

 Chron. XV. (1881), p. 656. 



Our knowledge of this plant is derived chiefly from the description 

 quoted above, and from the coloured plate in the Illustration horticole. 

 As represented in the plate, the leaves have marginal yellow bands, 

 the character which doubtless suggested the specific name; the flowers 

 are about the size of those of Oypripedium Lindleyanum, evidently the 

 nearest affinity of the species; the upper sepal is greenish white with 

 some red spots along the veins on the basal area, the lower sepal 

 pale green; the petals are deflexed, twisted, 2 — 3 inches long, pale 

 green at the base, brownish purple for about two-thirds of the length 

 from the apex; the lip is deep brown-purple with a greenish tinge, 

 the infolded lobes pale green with a few rose-purple spots ; the 

 staminode is green with a blackish fringe behind. 



Although known to science more than 60 years ago, Cypripedium 

 vittatum does not appear to have been introduced into European 

 gardens till a comparativaly recent date. It was imported by 



* For parentage of these and the following hybrids, see Selenipedium hybrids, infra. 



