IIo THE ORCHID REVIEW. [APRIL, 1910. 
DIACATLALIA GATTON ROSE, 
A VERY interesting hybrid was exhibited at the R.H.S. meeting held on 
March 8th last by Sir Jeremiah Colman, Bart., Gatton Park, Reigate, of 
which the parentage was given as Diacrium bicornutum x Leeliocattleya 
Cappei. It showed the Diacrium influence very. clearly, though the habit 
was considerably modified, but the flowers were pale lilac-rose, with a little 
darker spotting on the disc of the lip. As this recalled a light-coloured 
Lelia autumnalis or L. majalis, we enquired whether the latter could not 
have been one of the parents. Mr. Collier replied that the record was 
taken from the hybridising book, and he believed Mr. Bound was very 
careful with his records. Hecould find no record of L. majalis being used 
with the Diacrium, and he thought the cross given must. be correct. He 
further remarked that a short time ago they flowered a seedling from 
Cattleya Schroedere x L.-c. Cappei, which showed not the slightest trace 
of the Cappei colour, apart from a little. more yellow in the throat. The 
colour was quite a nice pink, although the C. Schroeder parent had white 
sepals and petals. L.-c. Cappei is a hybrid from Lelia cinnabarina and 
Cattleya Warscewiczii, and the colour of the former species is known to be 
remarkably persistent in its hybrids. One pollen grain alone is concerned. 
in the production of any individual seedling, and if L.-c. Cappei is capable 
of producing some pollen grains which are pure C. Warscewiczii, and others 
which are pure cinnabarina, and if one of the former united with the 
particular embryo of Diacrium bicornutum which yielded this. seedling, it 
ought to be possible to produce a similar hybrid from C. Warscewicziii 
direct, and the experiment might be tried. If it is a case of dissociation, 
and there are other seedlings, it will be interesting to watch for evidence of 
the influence of L. cinnabarina, and in any case they should throw further 
light on the matter. We are not unaware of the vagaries of secondary 
hybrids, and we are frequently asked to solve the parentage of hybrids 
when the records have been lost, and of natural hybrids whose origin. 
is necessarily problematical. One has then to judge by the hybrid’s 
own characters, aided in the latter case by any knowledge of the species that 
gtow naturally intermixed. The method is pretty safe with most primary 
hybrids, but cases of this kind under discussion seem likely to provide a new 
terror for botanists. We doubt whether anyone would have given L.-c. 
Cappei as one parent of this hybrid without the actual record, and it causes 
one to think furiously. Some very interesting problems are accumulating, 
and invite experiments specially directed to their solution. The generic 
name Diacatlelia is uniform in construction with Brassocatllia and 
Sophrocatlelia. The specific name is that under which the hybrid was 
exhibited. 
