THE ORCHID REVIEW. 59 



ODONTOGLOSSUM x DUVIVIERIANUM BURFORDIENSE 



This unique plant was exhibited by Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., at the 

 Royal Horticultural Society's meeting on January 14th last, and received 

 an Award of Merit. Mr. White states that it was purchased at the Sale 

 Rooms about two years ago as an imported plant, he believes from Messrs. 

 Stanley Ashton & Co. It is markedly different from the plant described 

 in these pages last September (p. 263), which still seems to be only known 

 by Reichenbach's description and a figure in the Lindenia, and may even be 

 of different origin, though this point must wait until materials are available 

 for comparison. The original was considered to be a natural hybrid 

 between O. maculatum and apterum (nebulosum), but the present one is 

 clearly descended from the last-named and O. cordatum. It has entirely the 

 shape of the latter, the acuminate sepals, petals, and lip being especially 

 marked, and were it not for the very different crest, it might almost be 

 passed over for an exceptionally fine form of O. cordatum. The crest, 

 however, closely resembles that of O. apterum, and the influence of this 

 species may be traced in various other details of the flower. It would be 

 interesting to know more of the importation among which it appeared, and 

 how far the different species above-mentioned actually grow intermixed. 

 R. A. Rolfe. 



PERISTERIA ELATA. 



nth the Obituary notice of the late M. Alfred Bleu given at 

 page 31, it may be interesting to mention that in 1877 a figure of Peristeria 

 elata was given in the Revue Horticole (p. no), with an account of the 

 treatment adopted by M. Bleu to overcome the difficulty which had been 

 experienced in cultivating it, and which proved highly successful. Having 

 noticed that the leaves decayed more or less when kept constantly moist 

 during the winter, M. Bleu decided to give the plant very little water during 

 that period, and until the beginning of April, which is about the time that 

 growth recommences. At this time he repotted the plant in a compost 

 composed of equal parts of leaf-mould (terre de bruycre) and sphagnum. The 

 plant then commenced to grow with great vigour, and was liberally vvatered 

 until the growths were mature, after which the dry winter treatment was 

 resumed. The leaves kept perfectly green during the winter, and in the 

 following April M. Bleu was gratified with the production of two fine 

 growths and a flower spike, the latter attaining a height of over a yard, and 

 producing ten fine flowers, as shown in the illustration. It is interesting to 

 find that the merits of leaf-mould as a compost for Orchids was recognized 

 so long ago. 



