136 THE ORCHID REVIEW. [SrpT.-Octr., 1920. 
of a female flower of Cycnoches pentactylon at Kew, on a plant which had 
previously only borne males, is recorded, and there is also a List of Orchid 
Portraits from current periodicals, over half of which no longer exist. The 
Calendar of Operations was in the capable hands of Mr. H. A. Burberry, 
who had charge of the Right Hon. Joseph Chamberlain’s collection at 
Highbury, Birmingham. 
_A long article entitled, ‘“‘ Cattleya—What constitutes a Species?’’ may 
be said to have finally exploded the old botanical idea that the numerous 
labiate Cattleyas were forms of a single, widely diffused species, for it was 
shown that each had its own characters, varieties, and geographical 
distribution, and the only way to get an intelligible nomenclature was to 
recognise them as distinct. A similar confusion in the C. guttata group 
was also pointed out. A classified enumeration was given, in which 44 
distinct species were recognised, natural hybrids being excluded. 
OpontTocipiIuM THWaITEsII.—A very interesting novelty, raised in 
the collection of R. G. Thwaites, Esq., Streatham, from Oncidium tigrinum 
and Oncidium crispum, and exhibited at the R.H.S. meeting held on July 
2gth last. It shows most of the Oncidium influence, especially in the 
shape and colour of the flower, though both are somewhat modified. The 
sepals and petals are primrose yellow, with confluent lines of light sepia 
red on the lower two-thirds, while the expanded lip is primrose yellow, with 
some red markings on the crest, anda reddish blotch on each side of the 
isthmus. It will be interesting to see what it develops into when the plant 
becomes strong. 
CaTTLEYA ALBANIA.—A charming albino, raised by Messrs. Hassall & 
Co., Southgate, from C. O’Brieniana alba and C. Loddigesii alba, the 
latter a handsome plant sometimes known as C Loddigesii alba Stanleyi. 
The flower has much of the general character of the latter, and the colour 
is pure white, with some light yellow on the disc of the lip. 
FERTILITY OF HYBRIDS.—In connection with this question, it would be 
interesting to have a few observations of the behaviour of Orchid hybrids 
under natural conditions. We have observed that the large clump of 
Orchis latifolio-maculata on the Kew rockwork has again this year 
produced an abundance of capsules, and the same may be said about the 
undoubted hybrid Orchis folioso-maculata, which is growing close by. On 
the other hand, the plants of Orchicceloglossum mixtum, growing rather 
isolated, had not a single good capsule, but whether this was due to the 
lack of insect visitors, cannot besaid. Let us add :— 
THE MENDELIAN PROBLEM CRYSTALLISED is—What does nature do 
with her hybrids after making them ?—R.A.R. 
