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PRACTICAL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS cypbipbdium 



high, with oblong blunt leaves 3-5 in. long. 

 Flowers in early summer, several on a 

 spike, green and purple outside, paler 

 inside and spotted, with a pale rose 3-lobed 

 lip, spurred behind. 



There are several other British Orchids 

 that might be used with advantage like 

 the above, among them being 0. Morio, 

 the Green Winged Orchis, O. mascula, 

 O. miUtaris, O. pyrwmidaUs &o. They 

 should, however, all be transplanted from 

 their natural habitats in autumn and not 

 in spring, just as they are beginning to 

 make their growth for the season. With 

 them may be associated the Bee Orchis 

 (Ophrys apifera), the Ply Orchis (0. 

 muscifera), the Spider Orchis (0. arani- 

 fera), the Tway Blade {Listera ovata), 

 the Fen Orchis {Liparis LcsseU), the 

 White and Bed Helleborine (Cephalan- 

 thera pallens and C. rubra), the Fragrant 

 Orchis (Hahenaria conopsea) &c. 



Culture dc. as above. 



CYPRIPEDIUM (Lady's Slipper 

 Okohid). — A genus of terrestrial herbs 

 with a short or creeping rootstock and 

 erect leafy stems. The flowers differ from 

 all other Orchids in having 2 stamens — 



1 on each side of the column, and the 



2 lower sepals usually united into 1 — thus 

 making with the pouched or sac-like lip 

 apparently 5 instead of 6 divisions or 

 segments. 



Culture and Propagation. — As a 

 rule the best place to grow hardy Lady 

 SKppers successfully is in a low-lying 

 moist part of the garden sheltered 

 from cold winds, but not exposed to the 

 mid-day sun. The boU in which they 

 grow best is a mixture of rough peat and 

 well-decayed leaf-soU in about equal pro- 

 portions. To this may be added a little 

 fibrous loam and old Sphagnum or other 

 moss, so as to retain the moistxure. 

 Although dampness is an essential in the 

 good cultivation of Lady Slipper Orchids, 

 the underlying soil upon which the peat, 

 leaf-soil, moss &o. is placed to a depth of 

 about 18 in. should be of a more or less 

 porous nature, so as to allow the water to 

 pass away freely and not remain stagnant 

 at the roots. The plants may be increased 

 by carefully dividing the roots with a 

 sharp knife in autumn or early spring, 

 care being taken not to injure the dormant 

 buds. 



The following is a list of the best 

 hardy Lady Slippers, but there are many 



choice varieties, besides innumerable 

 hybrids and crossbred varieties grown 

 in warm glass houses. 



C. acaule. — A rare species, native of 

 the N. United States, with broad, light 

 green, softly hairy leaves from the centre 

 of which arises a stout scape, 8-12 in. 

 high, in early summer, bearing a single 

 large flower. Sepals and petals greenish, 

 shorter than the drooping pouch, which is 

 of a beautiful warm rose blotched with 

 purple. 



Culture dc. as above. This species 

 succeeds in peaty or sandy soil and leaf 

 mould but is rather difficult to grow well. 

 It is also known as C. humile. 



C. arietinum. — A pretty little species 

 7-10 in. high, native of N. America, with 

 stiff leafy stems and solitary flowers in 

 early summer. Sepals and petals greenish- 

 brown ; hp red, veined with white. 



Culture dc. as above. May be grown 

 like C. acaule. 



C. Calceolus. — A rare British and 

 European species with stems 6-18 in. high 

 and oblong tapering, ribbed, downy leaves. 

 Flowers in early summer, 1-2 on a stalk, 

 with red-brown sepals, hnear tapering 

 petals, and a large obovoid pale yellow 

 pouch. 



Culture dc. as above. This is best in 

 warm and rather sunny corners of the rock 

 garden in rich well-drained fibrous loam. 

 It is now very rarely met with in England, 

 and great care should be exercised in 

 dividing it in autumn. 



C. californicum. — A beautiful CaUfor- 

 nian species 1-2 ft. high, with bright 

 green lance-shaped tapering, or broadly 

 ovate leaves. The small flowers appear 

 about August and September, have dull 

 yellow oval sepals, linear oblong tapering 

 petals, and a whitish rounded lip spotted 

 with rose or pale brown. 



Culture dc. as above. This species is 

 somewhat difficult to establish. It seems 

 to grow best in moist shady places in a 

 compost of sandy peat, leaf soil and moss. 



C. candidum. — A rare N. American 

 species about 1 ft. high, with oblong 

 lance-shaped deep green and somewhat 

 downy leaves. The small flowers appear 

 in early summer, and have greenish- 

 brown sepals and petals, and a white lip. 



Culttire dc. as above. 



C. guttatum. — A rare and charming 

 species 6-9 in. high, native of N. Europe 



