NovEMBER, 1914.| THE ORCHID REVIEW. 327 
are not so perfect in shape as some of the more northern forms, which 
have smaller flowers.” 
The illustration on page 325 (fig. 41) shows a fine specimen of D. 
formosum giganteum, that was grown in the collection of Lt.-Col, Sit 
George L. Holford, K.C.V.O., at Westonbirt, by Mr. H. G. Alexander. 
DENDROBIUM FORMOSUM itself has been known in cultivation for over 70 
years, having been introduced from the Khasia Hills by Gibson, who sent 
it to Chatsworth in 1837, where it flowered in May of the following year, 
and was figured in the Botanical Register (xxv. t. 64). Lindley then 
remarked: ‘‘ As a white-flowered epiphyte it is almost unrivalled among 
Asiatic Orchidaceze, the Phalaenopsis amabilis being the only one that can 
enter into comparison with it.” The species was originally described in 
1832 by Roxburgh (FI. Ind., iii. p. 485), who found it on trees in the forests 
of Sylhet and in the Garrow Hills, flowering in April and May. It also 
occurs in Sikkim, where, according to King & Pantling, (Orch. Sikkim, p. 
47, t. 65), it is common at the base of the Himalayas, flowering in May. It 
ranges westwards to Nepal. 
The Indian type, which is now largely replaced in gardens by the 
Burmese var. giganteum, was well known to Mr. John Day, who remarked: 
“I received a great many plants in 1867 and 1868 of this glorious 
Dendrobium—trightly named formosum—from my nephew, W. 
Williamson. They were collected in the Khasia Hills” (Orch. Draw., 
li. t. 67). A second figure was made in October, 1883 (J.c. xxxix. t. 1); 
and this was from an imported plant, “ purchased at Stevens’ about a year 
ago,” and Mr. Day added: “ This is the Indian variety, and though not. so 
large as the Burmese, I like it better, as it is more compact, and the bulbs 
too.” It has the short stout bulbs generally supposed to distinguish the 
type, but they are equally short in the Moulmein form figured by Parish 
(Orch, Draw., i. t. 46), on which Mr. Parish has written: ‘‘ The finest 
Orchid I ever drew. Most abundant all round Moulmein. Basket-loads 
are continually brought into the Bazaar. ‘ Guway-bau,’ or Silver Flower, 
of the Burmese.” 
D. FoRMosuM vaR. BERKELEYI.—Another variety was described by 
Reichenbach in 1882, under the name of D. formosum var. Berkeleyi 
(Flora, 1882, p- 534). The locality was vaguely given as an island of 
British India. Shortly afterwards another note appeare 
1882-1883, i. pp. I10, 210), as follows: “ Once more one of those local types 
like those so often seen in Cattleyas. It is a very elegant plant, with the 
Temarkable quality of flowering very young from its terete rcs, and 
very freely. As if not to excite jealousy of the other varieties, the plant 
has been deprived by nature of scent. Its flowers are smaller, petals 
Shorter, the lip narrower, clasping the column. The signature of orange 
