302 THE ORCHID REVIEW. (Octoxer, 1907, a 
MEXICAN LAELIAS. 
SOME time ago photographs of some Mexican Lzlias were sent by M. Juan 
Balme, of the Horticultural Centre of Mexico, including one of a natural 
hybrid between white forms of Lelia anceps and albida. There was also 
an interesting reference to L. x Crawshayana, of which a few plants had 
been discovered. As our knowledge of the geographical distribution of the 
‘Mexican Leelias is very imperfect, I sent to M. Balme a copy of my paper 
on ** Natural Hybrids of the Cattleya group” in the hope that he might 
be able to give some additional information from his experience in collect- 
ing these plants. M. Balme has sent a very interesting reply, with per- 
mission to publish any of the information. 
The photographs sent, besides the one mentioned above, are Lelia 
autumnalis alba, a good white form of L. anceps, and some white forms of 
L. grandiflora (majalis). A large plant of the pure white L. grandiflora 
alba shows five flowers, and M. Balme states that this is very rare, and in 
three weeks’ collecting he only found sixteen good plants. But he found 
three distinct but allied forms, one tinged with transparent pale pink, and 
the lip white with some yellow in the throat ; a second, white with a little 
pink at the base of the lip; and a third, white with pale pink lip, and the 
markings rather darker pink. These are included in another photo, show- 
ing a neat little group, bearing quite a lot of flowers, but the characters : 
mentioned cannot, of course, be shown in a photograph. 
M. Balme remarks that he had not paid great attention to natural hybrids; 
and he thinks that some were passed over as small flowers of the type, but 
he adds :—“TI shall now study all the varieties, and shall be glad to send 
flowers and all other information wanted, and hope to find a few new 
varieties.”” The following are Mr. Balme’s remarks on the six natural 
hybrids included in my paper. The page is given in brackets :— 
L. X CRAWSHAYANA (p. 224).—I think the parents are L. anceps 
Tosea and L. albida rosea, because these two varieties grow in the same dis- 
trict in the State of Vera Cruz, but L. autumnalis grows elsewhere. I have 
found a few plants of it there, and the flowers were similar in form to 
L. anceps, but small in size, though larger than L. albida. There are five 
‘Or six flowers on the scape.” This appears to have been Mr. Crawshay’s 
Original idea of the parentage, and it would be interesting to have a dried 
flower, so as to see whether the two plants are identical. 
L. X Goutptana (p. 227). ] think this issued from L. furfuracea 
and L, autumnalis, or furfuracea splendens and L. albida, not L. autumnalis 
and L. ancéps, because these grow in very distant districts. The variety 
of LL. anceps that grows near L, autumnalis is the white form, but in all 
Parts it is cultivated in the Indian gardens on the trees and Opuntias.” 
Bier esitcee she 
