May, 1916.| THE ORCHID REVIEW. 127 
ees AGE 
HE flowering of the first artificially-raised Ophrys, in the collection of 
- M. Fernand Denis, Balaruc les Bains, France (O.R., xx. p. 1993; XxXii. 
p. 100) was an interesting event, and now M. Denis has raised four others, 
three primary and one secondary. The first was from O. tenthredinifera x 
HYBRID. OPFFPRYSES. 
aranifera, and proved identical with a wild hybrid, O. Grampinii, Cortesi. 
This was crossed with O. lutea major, and the resulting hybrid will be 
described by Dr. G. Keller as O. Denisii. M. Denis thinks it the most 
beautiful in the genus, as it combines the colours of the three parent 
species, and has flowers of larger size. The three others are O. lutea major 
X Speculum, O. Scolopax X Speculum, and O. Speculum X bombyliflora. 
The sending of flowers from France at the present time is difficult, owing 
to the war, but M. Denis kindly promises them next year. He writes: ‘I 
am of your opinion that many more hybrids of Ophrys exist in a wild state 
than is generally admitted, and that several of the so-called doubtful species 
are natural hybrids. I have this year germinations of Aceras hircina with 
Ophrys, and of Serapias elongata with Ophrys, but I do not anticipate 
obtaining hybrids, for on several occasions such crosses have only 
reproduced the mother plant; among others this year I have O. lutea, 
O. Speculum, and O. Bertolonii.”’ 
This possibly explains a matter which has long puzzled us, namely, the 
apparent absence of hybrids between Ophrys and the allied genera, for, 
although combinations are known between Orchis and the genera Serapias, 
Gymnadenia, and Platanthera, also between Gymnadenia and Platan- 
thera, and Gymnadenia and Nigritella, yet no generic cross with Ophrys, 
so far as we can find, has yet been recorded. We congratulate M. Denis 
on his success, and hope that he may be able to include the cross between 
O. aranifera and O. Arachnites among his experiments, for we have for 
many years believed that the series of so-called purple varieties of O. 
aranifera figured by Barla are natural hybrids between that species and O. 
Arachnites, or of some other closely allied purple-flowered species. 
M. Denis remarks that the cultivation of Ophryses in suitable soil is not 
difficult, but their germination should not be attempted without their 
natural accompaniment of grasses, &c. He has never succeeded in raising 
them on canvas or sawdust. We believe that they grow naturally on a 
calcareous soil, hence the necessity of an admixture of chalk or limestone 
in the compost, and it is interesting to record that plants of 2: aranifera, 
the well-known Spider Orchid, have flowered for four years In succession 
on the rockwork at Kew, in a bed containing an admixture of limestone. 
