THE ORCHID REVIEW. 275 
CLOSELY ALLIED HYBRIDS. 
THE article under the heading “Cypripedium Curtisii and its allies,” at p- 
199 of the July number of the Review, induces me to send you blooms of 
three Cypripedium hybrids, bought and_ invoiced respectively as 
Cypripedium Xx Gowerianum, C. x Sylvia, and C. xX Smithii. I am 
only sorry that I have not a bloom of Cypripedium x Euryale to accom- 
pany them. 
Here you have hybrids from C. Lawrenceanum ¢ X Curtisii ¢ and the 
reverse, and C. Lawrenceanum @ X ciliolare ¢, and I have no reason to 
doubt the correctness of the parentage in the blooms sent for your inspection. 
I do not think your words, ‘“‘ As the three species given in the left-hand 
column (C. superbiens, C. ciliolare, C. Curtisii) resemble each other so 
closely, it necessarily follows that their hybrids cannot be very distinct,” &c., 
could be more practically verified than by a comparison of these flowers. 
REGINALD YOUNG. 
Sefton Park, Liverpool. 
[The flowers sent illustrate another phase of the same argument in a 
very effective manner. C. x Sylvia we consider to be only a variety of C. 
xX Gowerianum (under the rule dealing with reverse crosses), and might 
have been derived from the same seed-pod, the petals, however, being 
rather less spotted. C. X Smithii is also very similar, but has a shorter and 
broader dorsal sepal, broader petals with larger spots, and a rather shorter, 
more compact lip—in fact it is superior from a florist’s standpoint, though 
all are very: beautiful. C. x Euryale is necessarily closely allied, as the 
three hybrids are derived from the crosses C. Curtisii, ciliolare, and super- 
biens, respectively, with C. Lawrenceanum. In the same way hybrids 
between any given species and three or more closely allied ones 
would give a corresponding number of closely allied hybrids. For example, 
C. concolor crossed with the allied species C. barbatum, Lawrenceanum, 
and callosum, give the allied hybrids C. X tessellatum, C. x conco-Lawre, 
and C. X conco-callosum ; and many similar illustrations could be given. 
Such hybrids as those now cited, however, though very nearly allied to each 
other, are very different from their respective parents, while the crosses 
between the allied species themselves cannot even be very distinct from 
their parents, and thus it becomes a question whether such crosses as those 
mentioned at page 199 are worth making. Or, taking another illustration, 
we may ask, Is it worth while making crosses between C. barbatum and 
callosum? or between C. callosum and Lawrenceanum? That between 
C. Lawrenceanum and barbatum, it is true, has been made, resulting 
in C. X almum, which is good, because its parents are, but certainly 
not very distinct.—Ep.] 
