198 THE ORCHID REVIEW. [JULY, 1910 
material as the plant is able to assimilate, than for Cypripedes. I am not 
inclined to think that pure ash of its own or nearly allied species.can, if 
applied in moderation, do any plant harm. 
As I have mentioned dead leaves, I may say here that I never remove a 
leaf dying of old age, if it is in an otherwise healthy state, until it has 
become so dry that it is clear that all connection between it and the plant is 
cut off. If only dry in part that part may be removed. I do not believe 
that there is much, if any, waste in Nature, and I think it is permissible to 
suppose that the plant may receive various substances from leaves dying 
normally, which it makes use of; ¢.g., the old leaves may act as a reserve 
of material which can be called up by the new growth during flowering, or, 
to venture on what may seem a wild speculation, it is possible that 
substances from the old growths when absorbed by the new growths may 
stimulate or determine the period of flowering, or they may act as extra 
food during flowering. I have noticed many cases of old leaves dying in 
unusual numbers about the time the buds begin to show. 
MILEs JOHNSTON. 
(To be concluded.) 
VANDA X CHARLESWORTHII. 
A FLOWER of an interesting Vanda is sent from the establishment of Mr. 
C. F. Karthaus, Potsdam, Germany, by Mr. R. Blossfeld, who remarks that 
it has flowered out of a batch of V. coerulea, which it resembles in habit, 
but from the different floral character he thinks it is very likely a natural 
hybrid. It is a form of V. x Charlesworthii, which originally appeared as 
a single plant in the establishment of Messrs. Charlesworth & Co., in May, 
1894, and was exhibited at the Whitsuntide Show at Manchester (O. R., ii. 
p- 182). Shortly afterwards a plant appeared with Messrs. Hugh Low & 
Co., also as a single specimen, in an importation of V. ccerulea from Burma, 
and the plant was described as a natural hybrid between that species and 
V. Bensoni (/. c., p. 322), its intermediate character being pointed out, also 
the fact that the two species were known to grow together. Since then a 
few other plants have appeared among importations of the species. The 
flower now sent measures 2% inches across its broadest diameter, and is 
thicker in texture than in V. ccerulea. The sepals and petals are broad, and 
have a yellowish white ground colour, dotted and reticulated with lilac- 
purple. The lip has a pair of broadly rounded apical lobes, with three 
obtuse fleshy keels on the disc, the front half being lilac-purple, and the 
base lined with the same colour on a white ground. The side lobes are 
white, and there are two orange-yellow blotches on the foot of the 
column. It is a distinct and very pretty hybrid. 
XK. A. K. 
