274 THE ORCHID REVIEW. 
EPIDENDRUM RADICANS. 
Tuis handsome species, of which a figure appearson the preceding page 
(fig 13), is a native of South Mexico and Central America, and was originally 
introduced to cultivation by Mr. G. Ure Skinner, who sent it from 
Guatemala in 1839. It flowered for the first time in Europe in the collection 
of Mrs. Lawrence at Ealing Park, in the summer of 1844. According to 
Mr. Skinner, in its native country it grows among long grass and dried 
leaves, and flowers from October to January. It had previously been found 
in South Mexico, and named in MSS. by Pavon, the name _ being 
published by Lindley in 183i (Gen. & Sp. Orch., p. 104). The stems grow 
to five feet high or more, and produce numerous roots, whence its name was 
derived, as also the later name of E. rhizophorum, given by Bateman in 
1838 (Bot. Reg. xxiv., Misc., p- 8). The flowers are borne in many-flowered, 
corymbiform racemes, and owing to their brilliant orange-scarlet colour, and 
much fringed three-lobed lip, are very effective. Its chief drawback is its 
tall, climbing habit, for which reason it should be trained to a trellis or some 
other suitable support, and when thus grown it usually proves very floriferous, 
and wherever the necessary space can be spared it forms a very 
desirable addition to the collection. 
Some years ago it was taken in hand by the hybridist, and several 
handsome hybrids from it have now appeared, the first being Epidendrum 
X O’Brienianum, which flowered in 1888. In every case it has been used 
as the pollen-parent, and curiously enough, Mr. Seden, who has made 
various experiments with it as the seed parent, has never yet succeeded in 
obtaining a single seed-pod on it. Mr. Eichel remarked at page 115, “ The 
plant is a good seed-parent, and hardly ever fails in producing good seed,” 
a point which we should like to see confirmed. The hybrids which have at 
present flowered are as follows, being arranged in the order of their 
apppearance :— 
HYBRID, SEED-PARENT. 
Epidendrum X O’Brienianum. E. evectum. 
E. X dellense. E. xanthinum. 
Epiphronitis X Veitchii. Sophronitis grandiflora. 
Epicattleya x matutina. Cattleya Bowringiana. 
Epilelia X radico-purpurata. Lelia purpurata. 
The second of these was raised by Mr. Ballantine, in Baron Schréder’s 
collection, at The Dell, Egham, and the remainder by Mr. Seden, in the 
establishment of Messrs. James Veitch & Sons. Others may be anticipated 
in due course, as the results hitherto obtained are so promising that 
further experiments are sure to be made. 
_ eo 
