1^6 



ORCHIDS 



Cypripedium. 



The plant blossoms during spring and summer, and lasts many 

 weeks in full beauty. Malay Peninsula, 1840. (]>. M., t. 4234.) 



There are about twenty named varieties of this species. Many 

 of these closely resemble each other. The most distinct are : 



Var. hiflorum. — Leaves narrower, and flowers smaller, than in 

 the type ; scape about loin. high, usually two-flowered. Syn. var. 

 Wariierianum. 



Var. nigrum. — Flowers very large, and much darker than in 

 the type. This is sometimes called gigantcum. 



Fig. 45. Flo^vkrs r.F Cypripedium bellatulum 



(much reduced). 



Var. j-w/iV-/'//;;/.— Leaves more clearly variegated. Flowers dis- 

 tmct ui colour, the purple being deeper, and the white purer, 

 than in the type. 



C. bellatulum {Rchh. /.).— A very pretty species belonging 

 to the same group as C. coiicolor, &C., but larger than any of 

 them. The largest leaves are leathery, loin. long, and 3in. in 

 width, green, with grey marbling above, dotted with purple 

 beneath. Scape 3in. to 4in high, bearing one large flower 3in. 

 in diameter, white, spotted all over with purple-black, some of 

 the spots being large ; the dorsal sepal is almost round, concave, 



