2 
Juty-Avcust, 1919.) THE ORCHID REVIEW. 129 
origin. of the species. We do not remember to have previously seen’ 
specimens of the Javan plant, and it was the living inflorescence of this, 
which we immediately recognised as O. chloranthum, which supplied the 
clue to their identity. —R.A.R. 
Keices| : HYBRID DISAS. gy ee . 
T is curious how comparatively rare these beautiful plants have become in 
gardens, in spite of some continued success in raising them. A few 
years ago they were a feature of the Kew collection, where D. kewensis,- 
D. Premier, and D. Watsoni originated, but they seem to have disappeared 
during recent years, together with the pretty little D. tripetaloides, which 
was one of the original parents. The brilliant D. grandiflora has always” 
been erratic, succeeding in some places in all its native vigour, but refusing 
to grow in others, and it was hoped that the hybrids would prove more’ 
amenable to cultivation, though the hope has not been borne out by events. 
It is generally believed that it is a case of providing suitable conditions. A. 
cool, moist position seems essential, with plenty of light and air, so that 
during the spring and summer a deep cold frame would give an ideal’ 
position, but during the winter some provision for heating would be 
necessary. We have seen them grown in an Odontoglossum house during 
the winter, and transferred to cold frames for the summer, but these’ 
conditions do not always lead to success, and it would be interesting to’ 
know the real cause of failure. 
Messrs. Flory and Black have frequently exhibited well-grown specimens 
at meetings of the R.H.S., and we believe they attribute much of their success - 
been stored in a heap for three’ 
to a compost of beech leaves, which have 
~ years, this being surfaced with living sphagnum, but we have seen them do 
wellin an ordinary compost, and we suspect that the other cultural methods- 
employed are of more importance. A charming group of the plants formerly — 
grown at Kew has appeared in our, pages (O.R., vi. p- 241), when it was 
remarked that they were grown in a mixture of rough peat, with a little 
silver sand, well-rotten manure and sphagnum, liberal supplies of water 
being given when the plants were growing, and when at rest after flowering: 
they were never allowed to become dry. They begin to grow in the winter, - 
at which time an intermediate temperature was given. 
The three species concerned in the parentage of these plants are D.- 
grandiflora, racemosa, and tripetaloides, the former a native of margins of 
streams and moist cliffs, andthe two others of moist grassy places, which : 
affords a clue as to the moisture conditions necessary. We have not seen 
D. tripetaloides alive for a long time, and there is a variety aurata, Bolus, - 
which it would he interesting to introduce. 
