242 THE ORCHID REVIEW. 
Odontoglossum crispum Wolstenholmie (Fig. 24) is a well-shaped and 
very beautiful variety, in which the ground colour is slightly suffused with 
pale rose, and the reddish purple blotches well distributed over the surface 
of the sepals and petals. The petals are broad and nicely toothed. 
O. c. Rex (Fig. 25) is a superb variety with broad sepals and petals and 
a nearly clear white ground, each having a large irregular red-purple 
blotch about the centre, with a very few smaller ones near it. The lip is 
similar, with a good deal of colour round the crest. The colours are 
sharply contrasted and the blotches very clearly defined, giving it a bold 
and striking appearance. The spike bore ten flowers. 
O. c. Capartianum (Fig. 26) is smaller than O. c. Welstenhotealx: 
which, however, probably arises from the plant being small and weak, and 
when it becomes stronger it may be equal to it in size. The colours are 
also very similar, but the ground is a little more suffused with light rosy 
purple, and the markings on the petals arranged more in zones. It is very 
beautiful and is sure to improve. 
O. x Wilckeanum excelsior (Fig. 27) was certificated under the name of 
O. crispum excelsior, but must be amended as above, for the general shape of 
the flower, together with the crest and column wings, all show the unmis- 
takable influence of O. luteopurpureum, as in other forms of O. x Wilcke- 
anum. Baron Schroder fully agrees with this view, and writes to say that 
the same idea occurred to him when looking at the flower. The ground 
colour is ivory white, and the markings cinnamon-brown, some of them 
being darker than others, as shown in the photograph. It is a well- 
shaped and very handsome variety. 
On a future occasion we intend to illustrate another very interesting 
group, of which we have an excellent photograph. 
bots a 
POLYPODIUM FIBRE AS A SUBSTITUTE 
FOR PEAT. 
On the Continent polypodium fibre is largely used as a substitute for peat, 
to which fact the success attained with Odontoglossums and certain other 
genera has been largely attributed. It has also been adopted by several 
growers in this country with the best results. Messrs. B. S. Williams and 
Son, Upper Holloway, have used it for some time for Odontoglossums, 
Oncidiums, and allied genera, also for Cattleyas and Lelias, and find that 
the plants show a great improvement on those potted in peat and grown 
under exactly identical conditions. The fibrous roots alone are used; any 
pieces of rhizome being discarded. It is obtained from the Ardennes, 
where Polypodium vulgare grows in enormous quantities on the rocks and 
trees, the masses of roots being taken off and packed in bales. It should 
