74 ORCHIDS FOR EVERYONE 



of a well-known firm is at hand, and a glance over its pages reveals 

 the fact that fifteen of the finest and rarest Cypripedium hybrids 

 are only to be obtained by an expenditure of a trifle less than 

 ;^50o, and the plants would be small ones at the price. Many 

 of the rarest hybrids, or fine varietal forms of them, are not 

 catalogued at all, simply because only one plant is known, and it 

 is either kept for stock purposes or has passed into the possession 

 of some wealthy amateur at a price that makes one's mouth water. 

 On the score of expense, however, the selection here given affords 

 little ground for complaint, as may be gathered from the fact that 

 the writer has examples of nearly all of them in his own modest 

 collection. Descriptions are not given, because as a general rule 

 the hybrids show the chief characteristics of their parents, and, as 

 indicated above, there is a good deal of variation between certain 

 limits, due to the variation in the species concerned. 



C. Arthurianum is one of the earlier hybrids, derived from 

 C. Fairrieanum and C. insigne. C. aureum (C. nitens x 

 C. Spicerianum)^ is a bold and beautiful hybrid, and some of its 

 finer varietal forms are C. a. Cyrus, C. a. Hebe, C. a. Marie 

 Closon, C. a. CEdippe, and C. a. virginale. C. Calypso 

 (C Box aim X C. Spicerianum)^ is another pretty and useful Winter 

 flowering hybrid, and a splendid grower; C. C. Oakwood var. and 

 C. C. Flamingo are two of the best forms, but the type is good 

 enough for anyone. C. Charlesianum (C Leeanum x C. nitens), 

 was first raised in 1894, and may be regarded as a glorified form 

 of C. Leeanum^ indeed it was once named C. Leeanum superbum. 

 C. Colossus (C nitens x C. villosum\ is a bold, handsome Winter 

 flowerer, that is perhaps better known under its later but not 

 correct title of Cypripedium J. Howes ; it combines a good deal 

 of the size and polish of C. Boxallii, with the colouring of C. 

 insigne. C. Evelyn (C. Calypso x C. Leeanum), appears to have 



