140 THE ORCHID REVIEW. 
If a register was practicable of the names of all described or certificated 
flowers, and only those entered which were recognized—or rather the first 
to be recognized—on payment of a small fee, perhaps that would meet the 
case. Something of the kind should be done. R. 
CALANTHE VESTITA AND ITS ALLIES. 
THE question of the distinctness or otherwise of some of the Calanthes of 
the vestita group has again cropped up. Of late several of them have been 
lumped under C. vestita, but the result was not very satisfactory, and the 
appearance of C. rubens some years ago showed the necessity of a re- 
examination of the materials. The result has been to show that there are 
seven distinct forms, some of which vary considerably in colour, though at 
the same time retaining their own individual characteristics, as in the case 
of the genus Cattleya. To treat them as mere varieties only introduces 
needless complications; they are closely allied species, having their own 
characters and variations. The following is a brief outline of the group :— 
_ C. vestita (Lindl. Gen. & Sp. Orch., p. 250), though discovered by Dr. 
Wallich, in Tenasserim, as long previously as 1826, was not introduced to 
cultivation until 1848, when Dr. Kane, of Exmouth, sent it to Messrs. 
James Veitch & Sons, of Exeter, from Moulmein, together with the variety 
rubro-oculata. It was exhibited by Messrs. Veitch, at a meeting of the 
Horticultural Society, held in Regent Street, on November 7th of that 
year, and was awarded a large Silver Medal. Messrs. Rollisson, of Tooting: 
soon afterwards introduced it from the same district, when it was figured in 
the Botanical Magazine (t. 4671). It has a short, ovoid pseudobulb, large, soft, 
plicate leaves, which die away before the scapes appear, and comparatively 
large white flowers, with a four-lobed lip, which is yellow at the base in the 
original form—sometimes called var. luteo-oculata—and reddish purple in 
the variety rubro-oculata. : 
C. RosEA is a nearly allied species, which was discovered in Moulmein 
by Thomas Lobb, and sent to Messrs. James Veitch & Sons, who flowered 
jt at Exeter in December, 1851. It was described by Lindley (Paxt. Fl. 
Gard. iii., p. 35, t. 81) as Limatodes rosea, under which name it was long 
known, until Bentham showed that it was a true Calanthe, nearly allied to 
C. vestita. It differs specifically in having longer, more slender pseudo- 
bulbs, which are markedly constricted about the middle, and smaller, rose- 
coloured flowers. with an entire lip, and a much shorter spur. Messrs. 
Hugh Low and Co. afterwards received it from the Rev. C. Parish, when it 
was figured in the Botanical Magazine (t. 5312). Messrs. Hugh Low & Co. 
are said to have since imported it from the Langkawi Islands, off the West 
Coast of the Malay Peninsula, which is apparently confirmed by it having 
