THE ORCHID REVIEW. Ii 
O’brienianum requires a large amount of room, and E. Stamfordianum | 
should exert a dwarfing influence. 
PAPHIOPEDIUM X SIMONII VAR. ACTENS. 
A handsome hybrid has been sent from the collection of Norman C. 
Cookson, Esq., Oakwood, Wylam-on-Tyne, by Mr. Murray, which was 
raised from P. X Leeanum @ and P. insigne Sandere g, and thus must 
rank as a variety of P. X Simonii, in which P. insigne Chantini was the 
pollen parent. How far the two differ we cannot say, not having seen the 
original form, but the present one shows the influence of both parents. It 
might be described as an unusually yellow Leeanum, with many rather 
small spots on the’ dorsal sepal, and a rather nearer approach to insigne in 
shape. Thus the peculiar character of insigne Sandere is to a great 
extent lost, though some of the colour remains. It is, however, very 
beautiful, and, with P. x Leeanum, will rank as among the best of winter- 
Howering hybrids. Two flowers are sent, one of which is remarkable for 
having the staminode replaced by a slender filament over half an inch long. 
Messrs. Veitch have previously raised the same cross. 
CURIOSITIES OF ORCHID BREEDING. 
A VERY interesting article entitled ‘‘ Curiosities of Orchid breeding ” by Mr. 
C. C. Hurst, appears in Nature for December 22nd last (pp. 178-181). It is 
largely a summary of the author’s paper on the same subject in the Journal 
of the Royal Horticultural Soctety, with the addition of some interesting 
speculations respecting natural hybrids, which we here reproduce :— 
*“ NATURAL Hysrips.”’ 
‘The existence of natural hybrids was formerly thought by some 
naturalists to be highly improbable, if not actually impossible. But now, 
when absolute facsimiles of supposed natural hybrids have been raised by 
hand in gardens, from the same two species among which they naturally 
grow, they can no longer be regarded as pious speculations, but are indeed 
accomplished facts. The number of proved natural hybrids in Orchids 
alone is now very considerable, with the result that many intermediate and 
doubtful forms, hitherto claSsed as distinct species, are now placed in their 
proper position as natural hybrids. Mr. R. A. Rolfe, of Kew, has done 
yeoman service in reducing the chaos of natural hybrid Orchids to something 
like order. And so it has come to pass that artificial hybridisation, which 
it was supposed would lead systematic botany into the direst confusion, by 
the irony of Fate, seems destined to be the only trustworthy means of 
saving systematic botany from its own confusion; and the systematist, how- 
ever orthodox he may be, can no longer afford to ignore artificial hybrids.” 
—~-ty Coy Ps 160, 
