66 Zee ORCHID REVIEW. fMARCH, 1923. 
crossed with D. Phalaenopsis on May 2oth had two pods that were ripe on 
August 25th; the seeds were good and a few small plants were obtained. 
I was not having much success in raising Orchid seed at that time, as the 
midge maggots got most of the seeds that started, so I had no plants to 
show for my trouble. However, I got good seeds on D. veratrifolium with 
the pollen of D. Farmeri, D. chryseum, and D. Pierardi, besides D. 
Phaleenopsis, and it might be worth while to experiment further if the 
species is still available. Its pods ripen in three or four months. I also 
note the remark that Odontoglossums may probably not be amenable to 
tube culture on sterilised agar jelly. One should not judge as to this from 
experiments here, as the summer climate of most of the United States is too 
hot for this genus, and seeds are rarely if ever available with us. 
ORCHIDACEA QU&DAM AMERICAN#.—In our January issue we referred 
to the first part of Schedule Orchidianz, by Prof. Oakes Ames, and now 
No. 2 of this useful work is before us. Like the former, it is devoted to 
Orchidacez Quedam Americane. Undoubtedly the most interesting 
portion is that devoted to Selenipedium chica, the tallest Orchid known to 
science, and referred to on another page of our present issue. The new 
species described are members of the genera Pelexia, Sarcoglottis, Stelis, 
Pleurothallis, Lepanthes, Epidendrum, Maxillaria and Ornithidium. Prof. 
Ames says he has so far failed to find justification for the new genus 
Brachystele formed by Dr. Schlechter for a section of Spiranthes. By 
reliance on slight differences discernible in the structure of the gynostemium, 
but not always clear, and not always correlated with a second constant 
character, the latter authority admitted twenty-four genera in his recent 
revision of the Spiranthine. Prof. Ames, however, remarks: ‘‘ That such 
a goodly number of heretofore unrecognised genera should exist in a group 
that has been extensively investigated by capable systematists, would 
indicate that deep-seated characters of value for taxonomic purposes have 
een previously neglected, disregarded, or overlooked.” Concerning 
Brachystele aguacatensis, of which the structure of the lip is essentially 
that of Euspiranthes, Prof. Ames states that “ although the lateral sepals 
are distinctly coherent at base and decurrent on the ovary to form a small 
sac, this cohesion is simply a matter of degree. If for generic segregation 
reliance is placed on a peculiarity of the gynostemium correlated with 2 
tendency towards cohesion of the lateral sepals, a character that attains its 
highest development in such genera as Sarcoglottis and Stenorhynchus, the 
risk is run of establishing genera which depend for recognition on 4 
recondite character of the gynostemium. This seems hardly worth while if 
we hope to keep genera within the Coached to understand of those who 
identify plants.” 
Ne 
sd 
