254 THE ORCHID REVIEW. [Avcust, 1914 
regarded as a form of C. philippinense. C. Roebelenii was described in 1883 
by Reichenbach (Gard. Chron., 1883, ii. p. 684), from materials received 
from Consul Kienast Zolly, which had been sent from the Philippines by 
C. Rébelen. Reichenbach then indicated a doubt about its distinctness, 
but rather relied upon the yellow lip without any green veinings as a 
distinguishing character. C. philippinense was described twenty-one years 
earlier from dried specimens (Rchb. f. in Bonplandia, 1862, p. 335), but the 
author does not state how he obtained them. Three years later, C. 
levigatum, Batem., was figured and described in the Botanical Magazine 
{t. 5508), from a plant which flowered with Messrs. James Veitch & Sons, 
Chelsea, but this was soon pointed out as synonymous with C. philip- 
pinense, and it is probable that Bateman overlooked the earlier description. 
It appears that the species was discovered by the late Mr. John Gould 
Veitch, who went to the Philippines to obtain Vanda Batemanii. After 
long search, and when almost driven to despair at his non-success, he 
found the plant, and with it this Cypripedium growing on its roots. C. 
philippinense is a striking species, with long, spirally-twisted, red-purple 
petals, a cream-coloured dorsal sepal, lined with purple, and a bright 
yellow lip with some green veinings. Mr. Ashworth remarks that it is 4 
most charming flower. It isa Warm house species, and thrives under the 
same treatment as C. Rothschildianum and its allies. 
(8 | CULTURE OF PHAIUS SIMULANS. [ea 
ll 
N your issue of May last, under the heading of Calendar of Operations, 
Mr. Briscoe says, referring to Phaius simularis ‘and P. tuberculosus: 
“* Where growers happen to possess a few plants it is advisable to try them 
in different positions, for up to the present their cultural requirements ate 
not fully understood. A few years after being imported they gradually 
deteriorate and eventually die, a fate which overtakes some other 
Madagascar Orchids.” I have seen Phaius simulans in Rio de Janel, 
growing here in the open air, planted, in common with every other speci® 
of flowers, on the ground, in ordinary loam, and it would be impossible to 
obtain better blooms and more perfectly-developed flowers, and strongef 
plants, than those I have seen. They flower mostly between September and 
October. The mean temperature of Rio is 63° F., the thermometer going 
down to 59° about three months every year, and going up as high as 75 
during the day for about nine months. During the months of January, 
February, and March the heat during the day rises to about 120° Pee 
the sun and about go° in the shade; but these extremes never last more 
than a few days at a time. 
