20 THE ORCHID REVIEW. 
the light of recent scientific theories, might give good results, and that is 
the lumps of roots knotted around the peaty vegetable deposit in which the 
Orchids grow in their native habitats, and which the Orchid importer will 
say is unfortunately too easily procurable among the quantities of Cattleyas 
and other Orchids which come to hand in bad condition, or dead. Among all 
the points contributing to failure, I think that applying water overhead is 
the most dangerous, and attention to dipping, instead, might save the 
situation with some of the unsuccessful.—HysripIsv. 
CYNORCHIS PURPURASCENS. 
A VERY interesting and beautiful terrestrial Orchid from Madagascar has 
just flowered at Kew, and proves to be Cynorchis purpurascens, a species 
described and figured by Thouars some eighty years ago (Orch. Iles Afr. 
t. 15), though it does not appear to have been previously introduced to 
cultivation, for the plant recently figured in the Botanical Magazine under 
this name (t. 7551) proves to be C. Lowiana, Rchb. f., which was then 
thought to be synonymous. The present plant was introduced by M. 
Warpur, who states that it generally grows on the prostrate stems of a 
species of Pandanus at an altitude of 1,000 to 1,200 feet, but sometimes 
also in tufts of Asplenium Nidus. The species was originally described 
from the island of Bourbon, where Balfour has since collected it. It bears 
a single, large, oblong leaf, and a raceme of large flowers which are wholly 
purple, with the exception a white blotch on the centre of the lip (C. 
Lowiana, it may be remarked, has green lateral sepals). The individual 
flowers remind one very much of a Pinguicula. It has grown and flowered 
well in a cool house. The plant described as C. calanthoides by Krinzlin 
(Abhandl. Bremen, vii., p. 260) is evidently identical, for the description 
agrees well, and it also was found growing on the stem of a Pandanus, by 
Rutenberg. Ridley, it may be remarked, described a species under the 
name of C. gibbosa (Jowrn. Linn. Soc., xx., p. 331), which he afterwards 
reduced to a synonym of C. calanthoides, but this is evidently erroneous, 
for C. gibbosa is remarkable for its gibbous dorsal sepal, a character not 
found in the present species. A figure of the present one recently appeared 
in the Garden (1900, lviii., p. 375) under the title ‘“‘ A New Cynorchis,” 
and a plant was exhibited at the R. H. S. meeting on December 4th last. 
Being an epiphytic species, it may perhaps prove easier to keep during the 
winter than some of its terrestrial allies, which often fail to put in an 
appearance after the resting season. It is much to be wished that some 
more successful method of treatment could be devised, for these plants are 
very attractive when in flower, and a collection of them would be very 
interesting. R. A. ROLFE. 
