48 GENERAL REVIEW OF THE OKCHIDE.E. 



microscoinc inspection of the vessels of the flower can generally succeed 

 in unravelling the mystery. 



Prolifications. — One other class of nialfurniations remains to be spoken 



of, though it is by no means common in orchids. The central axis 



of an orchid llower (indeed of any other flower), that part from which 



all the other parts spring, is in reality the direct continuation of the 



stem or of a branch. Usually it is not prolonged beyond the flower, 



neither does it branch within the confines of the perianth ; but, by 



exception, both these things happen, and when this is the case 



botanists speak of the occurrence as one of prolification. It may be 



central, it may be lateral. The prolonged branch may give origin to 



scales or to leaves only, or it may produce flowers of greater or less 



degree of perfection. Rose growers know how common such deviations 



are in certain seasons. Orchid growers, if I may judge from the 



rarity of specimens that have come under my observation, scarcely ever 



see them in the flowers they cultivate. The instances I have seen, 



and they arc but few, have been mostly among our wild orchises ; but 



for one remarkable case in Cattleya intermedia, iigured in the Gardeners' 



Chronicle, I am indebted to M. Lucien Linden.* 



Causes. — The exciting causes that bring about the malformations above 

 referred to are mostly unknown, but two things are suggestive of their 

 origin — One is, that hybrids, and especially first crosses, are very liable 

 to produce malformed flowers. While Cyiyripedium x Sedenii was still 

 reckoned as a new plant, and derivatives from it were few in number, 

 then, if I may judge from my own experience which has been very 

 considerable, malformations in this hybrid were very common. Of late 

 years I have not met with so many in this particular section ; the 

 plant and its off'spring have become more fixed in their habit, f Again, 

 newly imported orchids are A'ery apt to produce missha])en flowers. 

 Soon after the introduction of Cyimpedmm Laiorenceanmn from Borneo, 

 a wealth of malformed flowers poured in upon me owing to the kindness 

 of friends and correspondents ; now I rarely see a malformed flower of 

 that particular species, and conclude that after the disturbance caused by its 

 removal from its old habitat and its growth under different conditions, 

 it has at length been enabled to adapt itself to the new circumstances 

 and to settle down comfortably in its new home. 



I speak of these two illustrations as specially suggestive, owing to the 

 large numbers of malformed specimens of each that have passed through 

 my hands, but I do not wish to lay disproportionate stress upon them 

 because there are very numerous other hybrids and very numerous ncAv 



* Vol. II. s. 3 (1887), pp. 12—13. 



t I do not think that this is so, bnt that on the contrary the malformed flowers oc-^ur so 

 frequently that we cease to notice them. They can be found on almost every flower spike of 

 C. Sedenii towards the end of the season. — H. J. V. 



