CHYSI8. 27 



Introduced in 1857 by M. Linden, through Ghiesbreght, who 

 discovered it in the Mexican province of Tabasco. It is dedicated 

 to Comte Alfred de Limminghe, a Belgian nobleman who was a liberal 

 patron of horticulture in his time. With the exception of the colour 

 of the flowers, which far surpass those of Ghysis aurea in beauty, 

 there is but very little to distinguish the C. Limminghei described 

 above from that species, although the late Professor Reichenbach 

 maintained that the G. Limminghei of himself and Linden is a good 

 species distinguishable in the dark by the touch from C. aurea* 



HYBRID CHYSIS. 



The scarcely specific difference that subsists between at least three 

 of the forms described above, renders cross-fertilisation among them 

 comparatively easy, except that it is scarcely possible to make Ghysis 

 aurea the seed parent on account of its power of self-fertilisation 

 before its flowers expand, a phenomenon not observed in any other 

 Chysis. Although capsules and seeds are obtainable without diflBculty, 

 the raising of seedlings is not thereby attended with any less trouble 

 than in the case of other genera, nor can much variety be expected 

 from so limited a field of operations as Chysis offers to the hybridist. 

 The two hybrids described below were both raised by Seden at our 

 nursery; both are distinct and highly appreciated by amateurs. 



Chysis Ohelsoni. 



C. hradescens x C. Icevis. 

 Sepals aud petals pale tawny yellow at the base and with a large 

 reddish fawn blotch at the apex ; basal half of lip coloured like the 

 basal parts of the other segments ; apical half yellow spotted with 

 red, the raised lines white spotted with purple. Column pale yellow 

 spotted with red on the imder side. 



Chysis Chelsoni, Rchb. in Gard. Chron. I. (1874), p. 535. Fl. Mag. n.s. t. 297. 



0. Sedeni. 



C. Limminghei X C. hractescens. 



Sepals French-white ; petals purer white with a large light rose-purple 

 blotch near the apex ; side lobes of lip sulphur-yellow with some purple 

 streaks at the base on the imier side ; intermediate lobe ametliyst-purple 

 streaked with white. Column white on the upper, pale yellow spotted 

 with purple on the lower side. 



Chysis Sedeni, Rchb. in Gard. Chron. XIII. (1880), p. 616. 



* Walp. Ann. VI. p. 472. "Species me judice optimfe Chysis Limminghei ipsa luce deficients, 

 noctu facillime nonnisi tactu a C. aurea distingui potest. Hujus labellum apice crispolobatum, 

 illius apice planum," but we have not observed the ditt'erfuce here noted in any of the plants 

 seen by us in cultivation. 



