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THE ORCHID REVIEW. 303 
stove plant when well grown and flowered. It is so vigorous, and makes 
so many young growths, that it is well now and again to nick between the 
older breaks that may not have flowered, when in six or seven months they 
will each send up a flower spike. 
For absolute beauty and clearness of colouring C. X nitens superbum, a 
cross between a fine form of C. insigne and C. villosum, is quite unrivalled. 
It is simply a glorified C. insigne of the Chantinii type, heightened by the 
polish and colour gained from villosum. IfI could only grow one hybrid, 
this would be my choice. 
C. x Pollettianum, a more modern hybrid between C. x calophyllum 
and C. X cenanthum superbum, is the most brilliant of all hybrids, in its 
best form. It has a perfect rainbow of tints on its dorsal sepal, shading to 
white at the edge. Even the most rabid antagonists of the Cypripedium 
allow that there is some pretty colour in this. 
C. x Pitcherianum Williamsii is one of the largest and handsomest of 
winter-blooming hybrids, but requires a stove and a good atmosphere to 
develop its fullest beauty. : 
But I shall weary, I fear, if I do not try to compress My remarks ! 
Cc. x Leeanum giganteum, and indeed all forms of Leeanum, are 
excellent, as they must needs be when two such species as insigne and 
Spicerianum are their parents. The hybrids from the latter are so 
numerous, and so pretty, that it is very hard to say which is the best. 
C. x Niobe, with the dainty C. Fairieanum blood in its veins, is a 
lovely thing for a warm house, and is small in its growth. 
C. X Sallieri aureum recalls something of the colouring of C. insigne 
Sanderz, but has brown spots on its dorsal sepal. It is a very long-lasting 
flower, deriving from C. villosum much of its endurance. The hybrids 
from C. villosum and others are exceptionally beautiful in several instances 
and prove the value of their parents. 
C. x Lathamianum, a hybrid of Spicerianum and villosum, is a very 
good and bright winter Cypripedium, but the dark variety is best, in my 
opinion, and I prefer it to its near relative—C. X Calypso. I notice, 
however, that C. X Lathamianum, which most men admire, is found fault 
with by many ladies as being too crude in colour. Indeed, I have heard 
say that it ‘‘ swears horribly.” 
A few hybrids from the nearly allied species—barbatum, Lawrenceanum 
and callosum, are desirable, but as a whole they are dull, and decidedly 
prejudice folk against the Cypripedium. 
Of the Selenipediums the hybrid S. X Schroedere is decidedly very 
handsome, with its deep Tose shaded flowers in spikes of three or four. It 
grows rapidly, and makes a really fine plant for a cool stove, but, like all its 
affinity, the flowers drop before they fade. Many will, I think, wish to 
include S. X leucorrhodum or else S. x Sedeni candidulum, as they like a 
