THE ORCHID REVIEW. 107 
CYMBIDIUM x GAMMIEANUM. 
Towarps the end of last year a Cymbidium flowered in the establishment 
of Messrs. F. Sander and Co., St. Albans, which I succeeded in identifying 
with Cymbidium Gammieanum, and the question has arisen as to what is 
its origin. Mr. J. O’Brien wrote: ‘‘A new Cymbidium, which is generally 
supposed to be a natural hybrid, or a hybrid raised in England which has 
got mixed with imported plants, is flowering in several collections ; for in 
two of the instances that have come under my notice the plants were 
purchased among Cymbidiums imported by Messrs. F. Sander and Co., 
St. Albans, who doubtless obtained them from the Sikkim Himalaya, where 
they have a collector of new types of Cypripedjum insigne and other 
desirable plants.” He then goes on to compare it with a narrow petalled, 
unstriped Cymbidium xX giganteum with more flowers on the raceme 
(Gard. Chron., 1899, xxvi., p. 409). It was originally described by King 
and Pantling as a species in 1896 (Journ. Asiat. Soc. Beng., \xiv., p- 339); 
and afterwards figured in the ‘‘ Orchids of the Sikkim Himalaya” 
(Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. Calc., viii., p. 193, t- 257), where we read: “ The 
colour of the flowers in this species is a dirty yellow flushed with brown, 
and with brown lines ; the lip, however, is ofa brighter yellow and has 
brown lines on its side lobes. Individuals with flowers of a paler yellow 
are, however, very common, and these have usually densely flowered 
racemes, like C. elegans, Blume; while the plants with dirty yellow 
flowers have lax racemes, suggestive of those of C. longifolium, Don. 
This species, though common in Sikkim, has hitherto remained unnamed. 
It has been suggested that it may possibly be a natural hybrid between 
C. giganteum and C. elegans, as its flowers combine the characters of these 
species.” This, at all events, shows that the plant is a native of Sikkim, 
and not raised in England, but, after comparing it with the three species 
mentioned, I believe it is a natural hybrid between C. elegans and 
C. longifolium. It is about as intermediate between them as it well could 
be, and I fail to find any trace of the hairy lip of C. giganteum, which in 
other respects does not agree so well with the characters of 
C. Gammieanum as does C. longifolium. Mr. Pantling tells me that 
the flowers are regularly visited by bees, which carry the pollinia about, 
and as the species now suggested as parents grow together, there 1s no 
inherent improbability about the matter—rather the reverse. Curiously 
enough, it is said to be common, though the variability mentioned is just 
What would be expected. The point about Cypripedium insigne may also 
be mentioned. Mr. Pantling tells me that he has never been able to find a 
trace of it in Sikkim, though, curiously enough, Mr. Maries has just found 
itin Nepal, and it seems to “ jump” Sikkim. It may also be remembered 
