Juty-Aueust, 1918.] THE ORCHID REVIEW. 153 
ivory white, with some purple markings on the lip, and they possess a strong 
aromatic fragrance. Practically nothing is known about the fertilisation of 
this remarkable genus, but Crueger has recorded that in Trinidad, S. eburnea 
is visited by the same bee that fertilises Catasetum macrocarpum and Gloxinia 
maculata, and he has caught it with the pollen masses of the plant on its back, 
though he cannot see how it can insert the same into the narrow stigma. The 
insect is attracted by the scent, but remains for the purpose of gnawing off 
some substance from the Jabellum. It would be interesting if some of our 
Orchid growers in the tropics would observe the method of fertilisation of 
this remarkable genus. Stanhopeas are of the easiest possible culture, and 
succeed well when grown in baskets of fibrous compost, and suspended from 
the roof of the warm Intermediate house. Basket culture is necessary, 
because of the pendulous nature of the spikes. 
BRITISH ORCHIDS ROM SEED.—Very little, we believe, has been done 
in the way cf raising hardy Orchids from seed, but the possibilities of the 
case are indicated by the following note in the Phytologist (i. p. 62) that we 
have just stumbled across. There are two or three British natural hybrids 
that might possibly be confirmed by an application of the method. ‘‘ From 
the commencement of the Birmingham Garden we have cultivated, with 
tolerable success, such of the British Orchidaceae as we could obtain, and 
have preserved some species for several years without being obliged to 
Procure a fresh supply from their native places of growth. They are grown 
in pots placed with our alpine plants; and about six years ago I was 
agreeably surprised at seeing some self-sown seedlings in several of the 
pots with the alpine plants, some of them being very small, and evidently 
seedlings of that year, others were much stronger. Of plants so obtained 
we have flowered several fine specimens every season for the last three 
years; some of them were permitted to flower where they came up, others 
Were transplanted singly into pots, and all flowered equally well. They 
Mostly are to be found with such alpine plants as have leaves covering the 
pots in winter in a living state, so as to ward off a portion of the rain, or in 
pots where the plants have a mass of roots to answer the same purpose, by 
absorption of the superabundant moisture. The species which have 
flowered from self-sown plants are Gymnadenia conopsea, Orchis maculata, 
and O. latifolia,—the latter being most abundant. As far as I can ascertain 
they flower the third year after their appearance in a seedling state.-— 
David Cameron, Botanic Garden, Birmingham, August 15th, 1841.” 
Possibly a cold frame would assist in providing the necessary protection, 
for we have personally tried to raise the cross between O. latifolia and O. 
maculata, also between O, foliosa and a pure white maculata, but the seeds 
ailed to germinate.—R.A.k, 
