May, 19t7.] THE ORCHID REVIEW. 101 
235] CYMBIDIUM INSIGNE AND ITS HYBRIDS. 
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HE introduction of the handsome Cymbidium insigne, little over a 
dozen years ago, seems likely to revolutionise the genus, so far as its 
garden history is concerned, for its attractive colour, coupled with a bold 
and striking habit, were just the characters wanted by the hybridist, and 
the result has been that it has now been crossed with almost every species 
of note, and with the existing hybrids, giving a series of highly decorative 
garden plants of the easiest possible culture, which are briefly summarised 
in the following article. 
Our first knowledge of the species dates from September, 1901, when a 
dried specimen, that had been collected in Annam by G. Bronckart, was 
brought to Kew for determination by the late Mr. George Schneider, 
accompanied by a fine painting. A note attached to the specimen described. 
it as a terrestrial Orchid found growing along ravines and in sandy soil at 
4000 to 5000 feet elevation, the spikes 3 to 4} feet high, and bearing ten to 
fifteen flowers. It was then named C. insigne, and afterwards described 
(Rolfe, in Gard. Chron., 1904, i. p. 387). The original specimen is 
preserved at Kew, also a copy of the drawing. Later on it was again met 
with by W. Micholitz, when exploring the heights of Annam for Messrs. 
Sander & Sons in 1g04, and a few living plants were sent home, one of 
which flowered and received a First-class Certificate from the R.H.S. in 
February, 1905, under the name of C. Sanderi, under which name it was 
then described and figured (O’Brien, in Gard. Chron., 1905, i. p. 115, fig. 
49). Shortly afterwards the species was introduced in quantity, and soon 
became extremely popular. 
With Messrs. Sander’s importations of Cymbidium insigne came home 
a second species, which was described as C. Schroederi (Rolfe, in Gard. 
Chron., 1895, ii. p. 243), being dedicated to the late Baron Sir H. Schréder. 
It is allied to C. Lowianum, but is dwarfer in habit, and has rather smaller 
flowers, and the lip striped with brown on the side lobes. It is now known 
to grow in quantity with C. insigne, resulting in a series of puzzling but 
very interesting natural hybrids, as will be seen presently. 
Curiously enough, the hybrid between these two species was first 
recorded as of artificial origin, being exhibited at a meeting of the R.H.S. 
in January, 1911, by J. Gurney Fowler, Esq., Glebelands, South Woodford, 
under the name of C. glebelandense (Schroederi X insigne). It was 
described as an interesting hybrid, having greenish white sepals and petals 
with a faint rose tinge, and the lip dotted with rose in front, and with some 
darker lines on the side lobes (O.R., 1911, p. 51). We afterwards had the 
