34 THE ORCHID REVIEW. [FEBRUARY, 1907. 
the attention of the daily press, and I have two newspaper cuttings, one of 
which terms it the ‘Chameleon Orchid.’ It is said to have behaved in a 
very curious fashion on flowering. “ The colour of the blooms,” it remarks, 
“‘ when the buds first opened was yellow; then they turned white, and 
finally became lilac, with deep violet blotches, these changes taking place 
within a fortnight. There are two unopened buds on the plant, which, no 
doubt, will begin their career as blooms in a yellow dress, and will go 
through the same extraordinary transformations as their companions.” 
They also figure it, “‘in its third stage of lilac and deep violet.” Perhaps 
another time they will arrange to show it in each of its three costumes. 
Another account describes it as ‘‘ the most marvellous hybrid.Orchid ever 
grown,” and remarks that it has “‘ altered its colour thrice.’’ And it con- 
cludes :—‘‘ For a long time the Orchid growers have striven towards this 
end, and a fortnight ago the patience of the Chelsea firm was rewarded.” 
And as we have just begun to introduce scarlet into the group, some 
interesting developments may be anticipated. 
I was much interested in the summary of the Rules of Botanical Nomen- 
clature adopted by the Vienna Congress (O.R. xiv. pp. 356-358), because of 
their bearing on the question of the Nomenclature of Hybrids, which has 
several times been discussed in these pages. It is notorious that the greatest 
diversity of practice exists, in spite of the R.H.S. Rules, and consequently 
we find the greatest amount of confusion. The Gardener’s Chronicle in 
recent issues calls attention to these rules, and at page 42 remarks :—‘ It 
would be well if those raisers who now make a practice of applying Latin 
names to their productions, and thus causing unnecessary trouble, would 
study and act up to the letter of article 30, which enjoins the use of fancy 
names in ordinary language as different as possible from the Latin names 
of species and varieties.” But article 30 relates to ‘‘ Forms and half-breeds 
among cultivated plants,” whose origin cannot be traced, and it is added: 
“When they can be traced back to a species, a subspécies, or a botanical 
variety, this is indicated by a succession of names—Example: Pelargonium 
zonale, Mrs. Pollock.” The fact is this article does not apply to specific 
and generic hybrids at all, which are provided for in another rule, which 
has already been summarised, and instead of merely repeating that I 
prefer to give an example or two. 
To begin with, hybrids are to be designated by a formula, or, whenever 
it seems useful or necessary, by a name. The formula is to consist of the 
names of the two parents in alphabetical order, connected by the sign X. 
Thus we get the formulas Calanthe rosea x C. vestita, and Cattleya 
Mossiz xX Lelia purpurata. The signs ? and g may be added if the seed 
