THE ORCHID REVIEW. 227 



I see that we have another note about the Scarlet Cymbidium. "W." 

 in the Journal of Horticulture says that " for many years past there has been 

 talk in Orchid circles of a scarlet-lipped Cymbidium, which grew -some- 

 where in the swamps of Madagascar, and which had cost the lives of more 

 than one intrepid collector in search of it." " Scarlet-lipped," forsooth. 

 Why, the whole thing might have been scarlet, leaves and all, for anything 

 to the contrary that the story contained : — " Imagine a scarlet Cymbidium ! 

 That such a thing existed has been known for years, and three have gone in 

 search of it ; two died, and the third has been terribly ill since his return 

 to Europe — but he won the treasure, which we shall behold in good time." 

 Well, we did behold it, and lo, it was green and black. And about those 

 two collectors ? Well, details were not given, though we learnt how M. 

 Leon Humblot dined at Tamatave with his brother and six compatriots, 

 and within twelve months he was the only survivor. One was soaked with 

 paraffin and burnt. The fate of the others we must imagine, and we have 

 since heard something about the moving perils which haunt the 

 ■collector of Orchids in Madagascar. And this brings me back to the scarlet 

 Cymbidium, which Humblot himself seems to think was communicated to 

 Reichenbach, and was none other than our old friend Eulophiella Elisabethae. 

 So we are left in doubt, and I begin to think that there will be some excite- 

 ment when the Reichenbachian Herbarium is opened. 



When discussing the question of Odontoglossum X ardentissimum 

 (or crispum ardentissimum) last month I remarked that the records were 

 unsatisfactory in the extreme, and now I see that at page 209 we have 

 its complete history, as well as a fine photographic illustration, and 

 .a new name to boot. Very little seems to have been heard about O. X 

 -armainvillierense, but the records claim it as a hybrid between O. crispum 

 and O. Pescatorei, and as M. Vuylsteke's four hybrids are said to have a 

 similar origin, the rules require them to rank as varieties of it. It is 

 extremely satisfactory to have the matter cleared up, even if it necessitates 

 •an amendment of the records, and violates the alleged sanctity of a few 

 certificated names. 



The other two figures are very interesting. O. crispum Lady Jane is a 

 remarkable and very beautiful variety, whose permanence is quite assured, 

 and if Odontoglossums can always be grown in leaf-mould as in the speci- 

 men figured on page 201 no one need hesitate to give it a trial. It is very 

 curious to find such a diversity of opinion as to the value of the new 



