52 THE ORCHID REVIEW. 
Certificate at the Temple Show in 1897, was described as clearly originating 
from the same two species. Yet again, in June, 1897, Messrs. F. Sander 
and Co. received an Award of Merit for L.-c. x Empress of India, derived 
from L. purparata Brysiana X C. Dowiana. Of course all will now rank 
as forms or varieties of L.-c. X Dominiana. Other seedlings are i 
existence, both from the same and the reversed cross, which have not yet 
flowered, so that the hybrid is likely to become more common in future ; @ 
fortunate circumstance, for the long list of awards above cited afford 
sufficient evidence as to its beauty. 
PAPHIOPEDILUM x FITCHIANUM. 
THIS is a most floriferous winter-flowering hybrid, being unsurpassed, if no 
unequalled, by any other which we are acquainted with. A small oF 
medium-sized plant will throw up quite a mass of flowers just at the dullest 
season of the year, and if only they were more brilliant in colour it would 
be quite an ideal plant, for it is a robust grower, and the leaves are 
extremely handsome, being regularly blotched with dark green ona pale 
grey ground. In fact, it is worth growing for its foliage alone. It was 
raised by Messrs. B. S. Williams and Son, and is figured as Cypripedium 
x Fitchianum in the Orchid Album (viii., t. 350). It is described as 4 
hybrid between C. Hookere and C. barbatum, owing to which it is classed 
by Hansen as a synonym of C. x marmorophyllum. Some mistake, how- 
ever, has been made, for there is no trace of C. barbatum either in the 
flowers or leaves, while on the contrary, the characters of C. venustum 
are strongly stamped upon both, affording unmistakable evidence that that 
species was one of the parents. The second parent is not quite so certain. 
Williams cites C. x Atys asa synonym (Orch. Gr. Man., ed. 7, p. 260), but 
that is descended from C. Hookere @ and C. venustum ¢. Moreover, that 
has a larger, rounder staminode than the ‘present one, and bears about the 
same relation to it that C. Hookere bears to C. Bullenianum. These two 
species are remarkably alike in general character, but the latter has @ 
smaller, less highly-coloured flower, with a staminode of scarcely half the 
size, which facts indicate pretty clearly that C. Bullenianum, not C- 
Hooker, was the second parent. Those who possess this hybrid should 
try the effect of crossing it with some neat highly-coloured form, not too 
different in other respects, for its floriferous habit and handsome foliage are 
too good to be neglected. If the shape and colour could be improved 
without sacrificing other characters the experiment would not be made 
In vain, 
ar asi Ne ee as ese bi ae te 
* is 
Ex ate as Ree 
