THE ORCHID REVIEW. 175 
point, and some advocates of the original spelling have assumed that ~ 
Linnseus intended to commemorate the “ foot” of Venus, but this is dis- 
proved by the remarks of Linnzus himself, which show that the popular 
appellation of ‘“ Slipper Orchids” embodies the same idea as suggested the 
original name. An attempt was made by advocates of retaining Cypri- 
pedium to secure uniformity by dropping the “1” in Paphiopedilum, but 
objection was taken to this course on the ground that it is neither the 
original spelling nor yet correct. But the idea of having two ways of 
spelling the same termination is repugnant to common sense, and as the 
Greek pedilon is the correct equivalent of the word slipper, we adopt the 
course of securing both correctness and uniformity by adopting the latin- 
ized termination “‘ pedilum”’ in each case. Even advocates of adopting the 
original spelling of words will allow the correction of an obvious blunder. 
We may now point out briefly the charac ers of the four genera of 
Cypripedilee, taking them in the order of their development and their 
affinity with the more ancestral tribe Apostasiez, which is characterized by 
its three-celled ovary and relatively simple structure. 
SELENIPEDILUM is a genus of three species found in Guiana, Brazil, and 
Panama. They are tall, reed-like plants, ranging from four up to fifteen 
feet high, with plicate, lanceolate leaves ; terminal racemes of small flowers, 
having valvate sepals and a persistent perianth ; and the ovary three-celled, 
“with subglobose seeds, and a smooth, crustaceous testa, like those of Vanilla. 
Curiously enough two of the species have fragrant fruits, which are used 
for flavouring purposes, like those of Vanilla, the Panama species being 
known to the natives as Vainilla chica, or Little Vanilla. None of the 
species are in cultivation. The name is taken from the Greek selems, a 
little crescent, in allusion to the character of the lip. 
PHRAGMIPEDILUM agrees with the preceding in its three-celled ovary, 
like the Apostasiez, and valvate sepals, but differs in being stemless, in 
having conduplicate, coriaceous, strap-shaped leaves ; much larger flowers, 
with an articulated deciduous perianth; and fusiform seeds, with a reticu- 
lated testa. The genus ranges along the Andes from Guatemala to Peru, 
with outlying species in Guiana and Brazil, and contains ten known species, 
most of them being well known in gardens. The name is given in allusion 
to the divisions of the ovary, from the Greek phragmos, a fence. In case it 
should be wondered why Selenipedilum was not retained for the present 
genus, it may be added that Reichenbach specially applied his name to the 
preceding genus, and described the remarkable Vanilla-like seeds, while the 
species now referred to Phragmipedilum were placed in a second section, 
with the remark that the seeds, which were unknown, might prove to be 
similar ; a suggestion which has proved incorrect. Uropedium is in reality 
the oldest name, but cannot be adopted, because it was based on an abnor- 
