CYPRIPEDIUM WILLIAMSIANUM. 
[PLate 365. | 
Garden Hybrid. 
A terrestrial plant, with distichous Jeaves, which are faintly tessellated. It is the 
result of crossing Cypripedium villosum with C. Harrisianum. e scape is erect, 
about eight inches high, clothed with short light-brown hairs, bearing a single 
flower, upwards of five inches across. Dorsal sepal very large, oblong-ovate, acute, 
white, the parallel nerves deep green, bearing a central, dark blackish-brown bar ; 
with a few green nerves. 
CyprIPEDIUM WILLIAMsIANUM, LReichenbach fil.; Gardeners’ Chronicle, xvii., 1882, 
p- 218; Williams, Orchid-Grower’s Manual, 6 ed., p. 262. 
This form of Lady’s Slipper Orchid is one of the many hybrids which have been 
obtained from seed in this country. We received it with several other seedlings from Mr. 
R. Warner, of Broomfield, Chelmsford, some of which kinds have already been figured 
in previous volumes of the ALBum. The plant in question was placed in commerce by 
ourselves a few years ago. It is the result of a cross between Cypripedium villoswum 
and C. Harrisianum, and singularly partakes of the characters of both parents in a 
marked degree. Professor Reichenbach in describing it expressed his opinion upon 
this plant, in which he states it is one of the best crosses obtained by Mr. Warner. 
The prevailing popular taste for this genus is still increasing, and we think 
deservedly so, for those possessing a good collection of these plants can be assured 
of a display of flowers for every day in the year. These plants are easily fertilised, 
they grow freely from seed, and they take but a few years to arrive at a flowering 
state; and these facts combined have induced numbers to join in the exceedingly 
interesting pursuit of hybridising. The very beautiful hybrid forms which have from 
time to time crowned these labours, add a fresh stimulus to the operation, until 
it now becomes necessary that raisers of hybrids should exercise a little care over their 
progeny, and if a seedling appears with flowers which exhibit no improvement on the 
parents, it should be destroyed, and not named and launched upon the commercial 
world simply because of its being a seedling; if this is followed out there will be 
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