3i2 THE ORCHID REVIEW. 
CYPRIPEDIUM x ROSSIANUM. 
ANOTHER seedling of the above has flowered in the collection of H. }> 
Ross, Esq., of Florence, which differs slightly from the original form 
described at page 359 of our last volume, both in the leaf and flower, but 
shows the same unmistakable evidence of its descent from C. barbatum 
and C. tonsum. The inflorescence is two-flowered. A  two-flowered 
inflorescence and leaf of another seedling is also sent, in which each petal 
of the lower flower bears from twenty to two dozen small dark blotches, 
while in the upper flower they are not half so numerous, and are almost 
confined to the upper margin as in C. X Rossianum. The flowers are also 
smaller, the petals rather more ciliate, and the leaf a little more like 
C. barbatum, but in other respects the resemblance to C. X Rossianum is 
So great as to suggest that it is simply a variety of the same. Atall events it 
does not agree with any of the well-known types, and we are unable to find 
any other species that will account for the characters of the hybrid. Mrs. 
Ross, in writing, remarks that it may be interesting that many Cypri- 
pediums in the collection have two-flowered scapes, including nearly all the 
plants of C. callosum, C. concolor, and C. x Ashburtoniz. This affords 
evidence that the plants are well-grown and very vigorous. 
ee 
SEED-VESSELS OF ORCHIDS. 
Ir has sometimes been remarked that Orchids do not seed very freely ina 
wild state, and Mr. N. Blandford once recorded the finding of a seed-pod 
on an imported plant of-Sophronitis grandiflora as hing ptional 
(Gard. Chron., 1885, xxiv., P- 470.) Replying to this rematk Mr. James 
Douglas observed :—* It is perfectly well known that imported plants come 
over with seed-pods on them, ripe or otherwise ; hundreds of seed-pods 
may be found clustering on the plants in the sale-room, scores of them on 
one plant” (L.c., p. 470). We have observed seed-pods on newly-imported 
plants of Sophronitis grandiflora, and have no doubt that ‘it seeds freely 
enough in a wild state, as do many, if not most, other Orchids. These 
plants fail to produce pods under cultivation because the necessary insects 
are not present, but if the flowers are artificially fertilised capsules are 
formed in abundance. Where Orchids grow abundantly in a wild state we 
have no doubt the necessary fertilising insects are there, and generally 
Perform their work satisfactorily. The fact that most Orchids fail to 
Produce capsules without artificial aid of some kind affords conclusive 
evidence of this, for without their aid no seeds would be produced—at 
events in many cases—and it is quite obvious that an Orchid which 
Produced no seed would soon vanish from the scene. 
