310 THE ORCHID REVIEW. 
while the numerous dots on the side lobes are also arranged in lines. The 
face of the column is hairy and spotted with crimson, while the disc of the 
lip is also somewhat hairy, as in L. Skinneri. 
The second flower belongs to L. Smeeana, and has white sepals and 
petals, the latter bearing innumerable rose-purple dots, chiefly towards the 
base, the front lobe of the lip nearly suffused with crimson-purple at the 
sides and bearing lines of densely arranged dots along the centre, the sides 
lobes more faintly dotted, except near the apex, where they are dark and 
numerous ; the crest white, and the hairy face of the column heavily marked 
with crimson below and dotted about the middle. Further comparison only 
emphasises the distinctness of this plant from the preceding, but it also 
suggests a new idea as to itsorigin. I cannot find any single character that 
can be traced to the influence of L. Deppei, but the modifications from L. 
Skinneri all seem to be in direction of L. tricolor, of Klotzsch, and this, I 
think, must have been the mysterious second parent. This species was dis- 
covered on the volcano of Chiriqui in 1849, by Warscewicz, and is rare in 
cultivation. It would be interesting if some one would cross these two 
species together and let us know the result. 
It should be mentioned here that the plant from M. Vanimschoot men- 
tioned under L. Smeeana, at page 101, belongs to L. X Lucianiana, a fact 
overlooked until afterwards. 
A difficulty one meets with in the study of these natural hybrids is our 
very imperfect knowledge of the geographical area of some of the species. 
L. Deppei is known to be a native of South Mexico, L. Skinneri of 
Guatemala and the adjourning state of Honduras, yet it is almost certain 
that their areas somewhat overlap, for the so-called L. Deppet 
punctatissima (L. X hybrida) is said to have been received from Guatemala 
with L. Deppei, and the occurrence of a bona fide natural hybrid between 
any two species is prima facie evidence that they grow together. And if 
my suggestion about L. X Smeeana is correct, L. tricolor must also grow 
somewhere with L. Skinneri. It was discovered-on the Chiriqui Volcano, 
at 7,000 to 8,000 feet elevation, by Warscewicz, and I have also found 4 
record “‘ Guatemala,” though I cannot see precisely on what record it is 
based. The only strictly localized record of L. Skinneri that I find is Alta 
Verapaz, in the Coban Department, Guatemala, at 4,500 feet elevation, 
where it was collected bp Turckheim. But we have now strong grounds for 
suspecting that the areas of the two species overlap. If anyone is in the 
possession of definite information on these important points I hope he will 
not fail to communicate it, for these problems are worth clearing up, 4 
Lycaste is not the only genus in which similar geographical difficulties are 
found. R. A. ROLFE. 
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