28 THE ORCHID REVIEW. ([FeBRuARy, 1918, 
A plant of Vanilla Pompona, one of the economic species, is bearing a 
few fruits in one of the warm houses, where it is trained on wires beneath 
the roof. It is a more robust plant than V. planifolia, and has much 
stouter, triquetrous fruits, which are said to be used in a fresh state for” 
flavouring purposes in the same way as V. planifolia, but owing to their 
more fleshy character are very difficult to dry, hence the plants have not 
the same economic value. A few fruits, however, are said to find their way - 
into the market under the name of Vanillons. The species, which is also — 
known under the names of V. grandifolia and V. lutescens, has bright yellow — 
flowers. The flowering of the South Indian V. Wightiana, Lindl., one of 
the leafless section of the genus, is another interesting event, as the species 
is still imperfectly known, and was long confused with the Javan V. 
aphylla, Blume. The flowers are rather small, and whitish, with some 
buff yellow on the disc of the lip. A plant flowered some years ago in the | 
Burford collection, and the history of the species is given at p. 302 of our 
seventh volume. | 
The Odontoglossums and Odontiodas show signs of renewed activity, 
and many spikes are pushing up, several being already in bloom, one of the” 
most interesting being Odontoglossum Duvivierianum, a rare Mexican 
natural hybrid from O. apterum and O. cordatum. This plant came from 
the collection of the late Mr. J. Gurney Fowler, and its history is given at 
p- 89 of our twenty-fourth volume. In the same house may be seen 4 
strong plant of Chondropetalum Fletcheri, a hybrid from Zygopetalum - 
Mackayi and Chondrorhyncha Chestertonii. Near by is a plant of the 
Zygopetalum parent, which it closely resembles in almost every respect but» 
colour, though the pale yellow lip and the minutely denticulate margin © 
show the influence of the other parent. At one end of the Odontoglossum 
house is a large plant of Aérides Vandarum, growing on a raft, which has’ 
occupied the same position for years, and is again flowering freely. It is 
interesting to note that the species also thrives in the Cattleya house, 
where it is showing for bloom. q 
A shelf over the tank in one of the warm houses forms a convenient 
raised position for staging any dwarf plants that happen to be in bloom, 
and is never without objects of interest. At the present time Cynorchis 
kewensis, and its C. Lowiana parent are showing for flower, both being 
easily grown and floriferous, C. kewensis was raised in the collection, the 
other parent being C. purpurascens, one of the showiest species in the. 
genus. | 
Several plants of Angrescem eburneum, the original species of the genus; 
are now in bloom, with others of A. sesquipedale, while the equitant-leaved 
A. Leonis has just flowered freely, with a few of the smaller species’ 
Stauropsis gigantea is also bearing a spike of bloom “ 
