OcToBER, 1922.] THE ORCHID REVIEW. 291 
CYPRIPEDIUMS—THE LONG-PETALLED SECTION. 
By HAROLD RAVEN, The Croft, Ruddington, Notts. : 
|* dealing with this curious and interesting section it is difficult to know 
exactly where one should begin and end, for my title might quite easily 
be taken as covering, in addition to Cypripediums proper, the longer petalled 
Selenipediums such as caudatum and caricinum. Since, however, it is my 
intention to deal fully with the Selenipedium section in a future article on 
the genus, I shall limit myself in this solely to the long-petalled species 
that may be truly considered Cypripediums. 
The foundation of the section was laid in 1860 by the discovery of 
€. Stonei by Sir Hugh Low when collecting in Borneo. This fine species, 
for many years the rarest of plants, first flowered in the famous collection 
of John Day, of Tottenham, by whom it was named in compliment to Mr. 
Stone, his Orchid grower ; to Mr. Day also belongs the honour of being the 
first to flower that fine and much-coveted variety C. Stonei platytznium. 
C. Sanderianum was introduced by Messrs. Sander, in 1885, having been 
discovered by Forstermann when collecting in the Malay Archipelago; and 
was followed in 1888 by C. Rothschildianum, another introduction of the 
St. Albans firm. 
In habit they are similiar, all being moderately tall, with glossy green 
leaves and bearing two to four flowered scapes. With the exception of 
€. Stonei, which produces its curious scapes in early autumn, they are all 
Summer flowering. Culturally they are not at all difficult to please, and if 
potted ina compost of fibrous loam, osmunda fibre and sphagnum moss, 
cut moderately fine and mixed with a few small crocks or pieces of brick, 
and given a fairly shaded position at the warm ‘end of the Stove or East 
Indian house where they may receive abundant supplies of water, both at 
the root and in the atmosphere the whole year round, they will be found to 
flourish and flower freely. One word of caution on watering is necessary, 
this is that on no account should water be allowed to lodge in the centre of 
the growths, for they are particularly susceptible to damping and decay. In 
deciding the most suitable position for them it is advisible to remember that 
they are all natives of tropically humid jungle country, and while it is 
important to avoid anything approaching a stagnant atmosphere, it is better 
to err on the side of humidity and closeness, at any rate towards mid-day, 
with a perceptibly cool and thus more buoyant feeling towards nightfall. 
It is a matter for surprise that the section has not appealed more to the 
hybridist, for apart from the question of stamina there is the length of petal, 
the fine erect habit, the bright colouring; all of which attributes would 
materially improve and extend the section if used with suitable species. I 
must confess to a great liking for them, to a desire of seeing them taken up 
