74 THE ORCHID REVIEW. 



VARIATION IN SECONDARY HYBRIDS. 

 Paphiopedilum x Hera. 

 The note by M. Cappe (p. 38) on the extreme variation in his fifty or sixty 

 hybrids of the cross Paphiopedilum X Charlesianum (P. X Leeanum X 

 P. X nitens Sallieri), together with your comments on the twelve flowers 

 sent, are-very interesting and instructive. My own experience with the allied 

 cross P. X Hera (P. X Leeanum X P. Boxallii) has been very similar. 

 Out of forty-six hybrids of this cross flowered by me during the last three 

 years, no two are exactly alike, and the extreme forms are very distinct 

 indeed. In order to illustrate this, I am sending twenty-six flowers for 

 your inspection, all I have out, at the present time, of this cross. 



With such a wide range of variation, it is rather difficult to classify 

 them with any precision, and if all the characters of form and colour be 

 taken into consideration in each individual, it becomes a hopeless task. 

 But if we follow Mendel's example, and take one character only, we can 

 then group them fairly easily. For this purpose I will take the most con- 

 spicuous character, i.e., the colour of the upper sepal of the flower. In 

 this particular the twenty-six hybrids fall naturally into four distinct groups, 

 though at the same time the extremes of these groups tend towards one 

 another, thus forming, as it were, a complete series. 



Group I, consisting of seven forms, may be termed the Boxallii- 

 insigne section, the colour of the upper sepal being pure white above and 

 green to yellow-green below, covered with purple and black spots except at 

 the apex and margins, which are pure white. The pure white area is en- 

 larged in var. burbagense, while the green area is increased in another form, 

 the remainder varying in degree between these two extremes. The spots 

 nber, and colour, being larger, fewer, and darker in var. 



maculatum, and smaller, 



numerous in var. punctatum. 



The original Cypripedium X Hera (C. X Adrastus), and C. X Euryade 

 Veitch, together with C. X Marise of Peeters, belong to the above group, 

 all being spotted forms, and the whole group, in this particular character, 

 may be likened to P. X Schlesingerianum (P. Boxallii X P. insigne) and 



Group II, consisting of eight forms, may be termed the Boxallii- 

 Spicerianum section, the colour of the upper sepal being pure white with 

 green base, covered or suffused with deep rose-purple and purple-black, 

 except the apex and margins, which are pure white, and with a distinct dark 

 purple median band. In this group also, the white and green areas vary 

 m extent, and the purple shade in extent and intensity, the darkest forms 

 being var. Dakini and var. Casar. This group, in this character, may be 

 compared to P. X Calypso and its numerous varieties. 



