66 THE ORCHID REVIEW. 
also? And, if not, can we ever expect to see it common in collections ? _ 
It would be interesting to know how M. Opoix grew those four charming 
examples which were exhibited at Paris in October last (p. 40), and I 
wonder how long it would take him to work up a stock from them. The 
ereat difficulty with the plant seems to be to know how to increase it:: ae 
can be grown—that at all events is certain, or it must have been lost long 
ago, and if grown, why not increased, like other species ? And will not 
M. Opoix risk one of his plants by an attempt to obtain a capsule of true 
seed? If this could be obtained, surely so successful a grower could 
succeed in getting it to germinate. 
A curious suggestion was also thrown out as to the possibility of 
obtaining P. Fairrieanum from one of its hybrids by repeated crosses with 
Farrieanum pollen—always supposing that it could be obtained. The idea 
seems feasible, and I believe that something of the kind has been done in 
another group. In fact, I seem to remember reading somewhere that in 
this way one species could be bred from another in seven or eight 
generations. Someone might start with P. x Arthurianum, (the first 
generation from insigne), and by continued crossings with Fairrieanum 
pollen might in time obtain the much-desired species itself. Theoretically, 
there seems to be several possible ways of increasing the species, and I can 
only hope that someone will put one of them into practice. 
A curious point is raised by a correspondent respecting a seedling 
exhibited at the meeting of the Manchester Orchid Society on February 
ist. The Gardeners’ Chronicle report states :—‘‘ Another good Cypripedium _ 
hybrid was C. x Leeanum giganteum x C. Bruno, the latter parent — 
being a cross between C. Spicerianum x C. Leeanum. When dissected, 
the parentage of this hybrid is seen to be very mixed, but the result is 
satisfactory (An Award of Merit).” Commenting on this plant being 
recorded without a name, my correspondent remarks :—‘‘ This may not 
be the fault of the reporter, but surely a name is desirable for @ 
certificated plant.’’ But the question is, What name? It seems to 
me that this seedling after all contains nothing but the blood of C. insigne | 
and C. Spicerianum, though in slightly different proportions from the . 
original X Leeanum. The original cross was half Spicerianum, the second 
cross raised the proportion to three-quarters, and now the third cross 
reduces it again to five-eighths Spicerianum. One might go on crossing 
and re-crossing with the original parents and hybrids until one had a 
complete series of gradations between the two original species, and it is a 
rather nice point whether all would not be forms of x Leeanum. 
* 
