THE ORCHID REVIEW. 19 
flowered for the first time in the autumn of 1893. It is a noble looking 
hybrid, combining the characters of its parents better than would appear 
at the first glance, for the similarity to P. Spicerianum in the shape of the 
dorsal sepal is lost owing to the way the latter is reflexed at the sides. 
The influence of the other parent is seen in the markings and in the 
modified shape of the petals and staminode. 
P. X INSIGNE SANDER (fig. 7), the last figure on the right, is too 
familiar to require further comment, having twice previously been figured 
in these pages (ii. p. 41, and vi., p. 17), but its inclusion in the present 
group enables it to be compared with the allied variety Ernestii in a very 
effective way. 
Should any of our readers care to experiment with groups of this kind it 
would be useful to note the size and arrangement of the present one, and 
that the reduction to one-third natural size still shows plenty of character. 
In this way some of the allied hybrids with their parents can be very 
graphically represented. Lastly, the background should always be selected 
so as to form a good contrast with the flowers. 
ORCHIDS IN SEASON. 
WINTER-BLOOMING Orchids are now a large, and, thanks to the efforts of 
the hybridist, a constantly increasing class ; and a glance through our 
houses during the Christmas holidays reveals a wealth of bloom which would 
have surprised our compeers of a generation ago. Even the species which 
were then grown are now in several cases represented by a series of brilliant 
varieties which had not then made their appearance, while the hybrids 
were both few in numbers, and only represented in a few collections. 
Conversely, a few other species were then more generally grown than at 
present, but in the main they have been displaced by showier species, and 
their disappearance is therefore the less to be regretted. 
Perhaps the most popular of the species now in flower is Lelia anceps 
and its numerous beautiful varieties, ranging as they do through shades of 
purple and pink to white, with a considerable amount of variation in shape, 
and in the markings on the lip. The numerous varieties were collected and 
described at pages 50-53 of our fourth volume. Scarcely less beautiful is 
L. autumnalis, though owing to the slight amount of variation it is not 
nearly so popular. The dark variety atrorubens, and the chaste variety 
alba are both distinct and good. L. albida is much smaller, but very 
floriferous, and its variety sulphurea is very pretty and novel in colour. 
The Calanthes are equally brilliant, and owing to the absence of fog 
