334 THE ORCHID REVIEW. 
DENDROBIUM x LEEANUM. 
Four years ago a remarkable Dendrobium flowered in the establish- 
ment of Messrs. F. Sander & Co., St. Albans, and was described by Mr. J. 
O’Brien as a handsome new species, under the name of Dendrobium 
Leeanum (Gard. Chron., 1891, ii., pp. 640, 641, fig. 88). It was a single 
plant which flowered out of an importation of D. Phalznopsis, and received 
an Award of Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society, on November roth, 
1891. On seeing it I immediately suggested that it might be a hybrid 
between D. Phalzenopsis and D. superbiens, as it was about intermediate in 
character. Soon afterwards a second plant appeared in the collectién of F. 
Wigan, Esq. (now Sir Frederick), Clare Lawn, East Sheen, and now one 
has flowered with H. V. W. Vade, Esq., of Singapore. Other plants may 
possibly be known. I now feel more than ever convinced that it isa natural 
hybrid between the two species just named. It isa tall plant with pseudo- 
bulbs about 3 feet high, and long racemes of flowers, like the two species in 
question. It also combines the characters of thetwo. The sepals are acute, 
as in D. Phalzenopsis, but rather narrower, and the petals spathulate-oblong, 
rather longer and more acute than in D. superbiens. The lip is about inter- 
mediate in size and shape, including the details of the crest. In D. superb- 
iens the crest consists of three serrulate erect keels at the base of the front 
lobe, but in D. Phalzenopsis the disc is simply puberulous without any crest. 
D. X Leeanum has a crest as in the former, but is reduced to about half _ 
the size. The sepals and petals are whitish at the base, but rosy purple 
above, and the lip is pretty similar. Sir F. Wigan’s plant has the flowers 
ofa darker, nearly uniform shade, and has been called variety atropur- 
pureum. Mr. Vade’s plant is like the original one, as is shown by a 
photograph and a note of the colour. He also points out the resemblance 
to D. superbiens. I do not know whether plants of the latter have flowered 
out of the importations of D. Phalenopsis, but it is now pretty evident 
that the two grow together, and that D. x Leeanum is a natural hybrid 
between them. Its appearance is therefore very interesting. 
R.A.R. 
rg 
OBITUARY. 
We regret to hear of the death of Mr. James Crispin, F.R.H.S., 
head of the firm of James Crispin & Sons, Horticultural Engineers, of 
Nelson Street, Bristol, on October 14th last, 
after a prolonged illness, 
at the age of fifty-five years. 
Mr. Crispin was a very successful grower 
of Orchids, and his collection at Chester Park, Fishponds, was well known 
in the West of England. On two occasions he was awarded the Banksian 
Medal of the Royal Horticultural Society, and he frequently took first 
prizes at local Flower Shows. 
