140 THE ORCHID REVIEW. [May, 1922. 
it became scarce, and was ultimately almost lost sight of until re-introduced 
about twenty years ago. The sepals and petals are light green, more or less 
‘suffused and veined with pale brown, and the lip is white, with a few dark 
purple-brown spots near the base, and an area of the latter colour at the 
junction of the lip and column. The flowers exhale an aromatic perfume. 
Those seen in the illustration are males, but when Lindley saw a spike of 
‘female flowers, which are of different formation, he regarded it as a second 
species under the name C. cucullata, in allusion to the hooded column. 
However, in the autumn of 1836 a plant in the garden of the Horticultural 
Society produced flowers of C. Loddigesii on one side of the pseudobulb 
and those of C. cucullata on the other side. Lindley thereupon called it a 
“ freak,” though it is now known that the above plant was in fact bearing 
both male and female flowers. Other cases are on record of only female 
flowers being produced. | 
——_1—~»>+ 
MAXILLARIA PICTA.—This was originally sent to Mrs. Arnold Harrison, 
-of Liverpool, in 1831, by her relative, Mr. William Harrison, who had 
gathered it on the Organ Mountains, near Rio Janeiro, and shortly after- 
wards imported by Messrs. Loddiges, of Hackney. At one time it was very 
popular, and some remarkable specimens were seen under cultivation. 
————-> + 
RENANTHERA COCCINEA.—As this interesting species does not appear to 
be free-flowering, the method adopted at Chatsworth some years ago may 
be of use to cultivators who have so far failed to flowerit. The plants were 
placed on the west side of the large conservatory fully exposed to the sun 
after I p.m. Pieces of the stems about a foot long, having a few roots, were 
attached to poles of Silver Birch 8-12 feet long, and about six inches in 
diameter with the bark on. These poles were fixed perpendicularly in a 
border, and no potting material whatever was used for the plants. As the 
stems increased in length, the new aerial roots emitted by them soon attached 
themselves firmly to the birch poles. From the beginning of May to the 
end of September fire heat was dispensed with, and the temperature of the 
house was entirely controlled by the state of the weather. Great fluc- 
tuations occurred ; on bright days it frequently rose to go degs., notwith- 
standing the greatest possible amount of ventilation ; in dull weather it fell 
to 55 degs., while in changeable weather it varied as much 20 degs. in the 
course ofaday. During the summer the plants were syringed three or four 
times a day, in winter two or three times a day according to the weather, or 
as the birch poles happened to be wet or dry. Strong and healthy stems 
flowered annually, and occasionally twice a year, continuing in bloom for 
Several months. 
