262 THE ORCHID REVIEW. [SEPTEMBER, IQII- 
LAZLIOCATTLEYA ELEGANS RAISED ARTIFICIALLY. 
A PARTICULARLY interesting flower has been sent from the collection of E- 
F. Clark, Esq., Evershot, Dorset. Mr. Clark writes: ‘‘I am sending a 
flower of a hybrid just flowered by me which appears to be the true Lzlio- 
cattleya elegans. I do not know if this has been raised artificially before, 
though I know that L.-c. Schilleriana has been more than once. The cross: 
was made on July 14th, 1902, a fine well-spotted Cattleya guttata Leopoldit 
being the seed bearer. The pollen used was from three varieties of Lelia. 
purpurata—all the pollen masses of a white purpurata with a dark lip 
(taken on June 17th), one or two of L. p. Russelliana (older), and two of 
L. p. rosea. I thought all the pollen masses looked doubtfully good, but 
that of L. p. Russelliana looked best. The seed pod ripened in February, 
1903, and some seed was sown on February roth, and on later dates. The 
plant is, therefore about 84 years old, from the date of sowing the seed. I 
have four or five other seedlings.” 
' This record is particularly intefesting, for as long ago as 1877, when 
Reichenbach suggested that this plant might be a natural hybrid between 
the two plants now under discussion, he remarked: ‘‘ It is much to be 
wished that Mr. Seden may soon raise magnificent hybrids by crossing the 
two last plants, the more so as, within my knowledge, the demand for Lelia 
elegans is far greater than can be supplied by the English growers ’”’ (Gard. 
Chron., 1877, ii. p. 424). We have had to wait along time for the 
experiment, at last carried out successfully by Mr. Clark, who must be 
congratulated on his achievement. Some years ago I myself obtained a 
fine capsule from the same two species, and some of the seeds germinated, 
but the seedlings eventually died, to my great disappointment. 
The flower sent by Mr. Clark is quite typical in shape, and has light 
rose-purple sepals and petals, with a strongly three-lobed lip, the broad 
undulate front lobe being rich purple-crimson, also the much- 
overlapping tips of the side lobes, while the tube and throat are nearly 
white. It is a bright and attractive flower, and will doubtless improve as 
the seedling becomes stronger. : 
Now that the origin of the plant is placed beyond dispute it may be 
interesting to summarise its history. It was originally described and 
figured by Ch. Morren, in 1848, under the name of Cattleya elegans (Ann. 
de Gand, iv. p. 93, t. 185), the author remarking that M. A. Verschaffelt had 
received it from his collector, M. Frangois de Vos, who found it in the 
Santa Catherina district, and sent it to Belgium. After comparing it 
with all the species hitherto known he had come to the conclusion that it 
was undescribed. The figure shows the apex of two pseudobulbs, one with 
two leaves, the other with one and a sheath, with a two-flowered infloresence, 
