THE ORCHID REVIEW. 131 



proper, but if Laelia is Cattleya, and Cattleya is Brassavola, how can 

 Brassavola not be Laelia ? This is merely following the argument to its 

 •ogical conclusion. And we have not done with the matter yet, for 

 Cattleya crosses with Epidendrum and with Sophronitis, and Sophronitis 

 again with Epidendrum and with Laelia, while Laelia crosses with 

 Leptotes. I don't think we have got any further yet, but if these are all one 

 genus, because they cross together, how are we to separate this composite 

 genus from ihe rest of the tribe Epidendreae ? And what evidence have we 

 that hybridists are going to stop at this point ? Truly I do not envy our 

 botanists their work in the future. 



A rather curious illustration of the possibilities of the system of 

 nomenclature just mentioned was furnished by Reichenbach, when, in 

 1886, the first hybrid between Cattleya and Sophronitis flowered. For 

 some occult reason this cross led him to regard the species of Sophronitis 

 as Laelias. " The effect of mixing a Sophronitis and a Cattleya is a Laelia ! " 

 he remarked, and he described the hybrid as Laelia X Batemaniana. But 

 the curious thing is that he made an exception in favour of S. violacea, and, 

 excluding all others, regarded it as the only true species of the genus. And 

 now the hybridist has successfully hybridised it with Epidendrum. Oh, the 

 irony of it ! 



Once upon a time a similar idea prevailed with regard to species. If 

 any two of them could be crossed together it was taken as evidence that 

 they were only forms of one, but the idea had to be given up, and it is 

 becoming increasingly evident that it is no more applicable to genera, and 

 must also be discarded. Argus. 



ORCHIDS IN SEASON. 



A beautiful series of Dendrobium flowers is sent from the collection of 

 O. O. Wrigley, Esq., Bridge Hall, Bury, by Mr. Rogers, which were cut 

 from a group of plants to which a Silver-gilt Medal was awarded by the 

 Manchester Orchid Society on April 3rd last. They include D. nobile and 

 its varieties nobilius, Sanderianum, Amesiae, Ballianum, Wrigleyanum- 

 which comes extremely close to murrhiniacum-and Symmetry, the latter 

 having broad segments, the petals being slightly over an inch broad. The 

 variety Ashworthiae is much like Amesiae, but rather larger, and is 

 remarkable for having a bright purple streak at the base of one petal, 

 and a broad white streak on one side of the dark maroon disc of 

 the lip— a character which should be watched. The others are the 



