Part 11. CYPRIPEDIUM. 189 



be propagated by division, but the plants in the country, at pre- 

 sent, are too small and puny to bear this. 



CyPEIPEDIUM QKLSys^OXXS^.— English Lady's Slipper. 



The largest, and, when well grown, the handsomest of our 

 native orchids, and therefore an object of much interest to culti- 

 vators of hardy plants, as well as to botanists. When grown 

 under tolerably favourable conditions, the stem rises to a height 

 of from sixteen to twenty inches, with large pointed leaves, and 

 bearing large flowers ; the lip yellow, variegated with purple ; 

 the long sepals and petals of a brownish purple. Although 

 reputed to be extinct in Britain, it is known to exist yet in a 

 wild state with us, but in very few places, and let us hope 

 the last remaining plants may long remain undisturbed ; it 

 is abundantly distributed over Continental Europe, and should 

 not be difficult to obtain. I have never seen this fine plant 

 nearly so well grown as by Mr. James Backhouse, of York. 

 He plants it on an eastern shaded aspect of his rockwork, in 

 rich, deep, fibrous loam, in narrow, well-drained fissures, between 

 limestone rocks. The condition in which this and other orchises 

 are obtained has a great influence on their well-being. The 

 roots are often dried up, and nearly or quite dead when obtained ; 

 and in this condition they would have but a poor chance of 

 surviving, even if planted in the' wilds most favourable to their 

 natural development. Given good sound roots, there will 

 not be the least difficulty in establishing plants in deep loam, 

 in any well-drained, half shady spot, with some shelter afforded 

 by low bushes and plants to prevent the leafy growth of the 

 plant from being destroyed or injured by wind. It is propagated 

 by division of the root, but should not be disturbed for that 

 purpose till the plants are well established, and have begun to 

 spread about. 



CYPRIPEDIUM SPECTABILE.— 7V(7^/^ C. 



A NOBLE hardy orchid ; a native of meadows and peat bogs, in 

 the Northern, and on mountains in the Southern, United States, 

 and easily known from all its fellows by its large, much inflated, 

 rosy lip. When well developed in the open air, I know of no 

 hardy plant to surpass this in boldness of chiselling, and delicate 

 purity of colour. The plant is as hardy as the common Rhubarb. 

 It is a strong deep-rooting thing when in a congenial soil and 



