270 THE ORCHID REVIEW. 
nearest ally, P. Spicerianum, appears under Viridia. These are only 
specimens, and do not by any means exhaust the list of inconsistencies, 
whose culminating point is reached in Paphiopedilum cothurnum, the 
female of a Catasetum, P. Socco, the male of another, and P. epidendricum, 
a species of Cyrtopera; all three, be it noted, having plicate leaves, 
the very absence of which is the raison d’étre of the so-called genus. 
Comment is needless. 7 
The proposed change really means that genera shall no longer be based 
upon floral structure, but upon the vegetative organs. I have already 
pointed out that Reichenbach’s genus Selenipedium has a substantial base 
to stand upon, having retained the ancestral character of a three-celled ovary 
with axile placentation, as in the tribe Apostasieze (see remarks upon Neu- 
wiedia Lindleyi at page 70), while Cypripedium has a one-celled ovary with 
parietal placentation, as in the rest of the family. All other characters are 
of subordinate importance. If this is to be ignored in the case of species 
with conduplicate leaves, and recognised in those with plicate ones, the 
whole thing becomes a farce. If both are recognised, we have four genera, 
if vegetative characters only, we have two, but they are not the two which 
floral structure indicates, and, in my opinion, no cause has been shown why 
this should be set aside. The three-celled ovary has a significance which 
alone deserves recognition, as it indicates the affinity with Apostasiez, and 
the lines along which progressive modifications have taken place. 
The necessity for the proposed changes in spelling may be inferred from 
the fact that Count Kerchove again transfers Pfitzer’s Paphiopedilums to 
Paphiopedium. And thus the list of synonyms grows and flourishes 
amazingly. R. A. ROLFE. 
ZYGOPETALUM LINDENIA. 
This distinct and pretty species of Zygopetalum has recently flowered 
in the collection of M. F. Finet, of Argenteuil, France. It is a native 
of Venezuela, and was introduced by Messrs. Linden, L’Horticulture 
Internationale, Brussels. It belongs to the section Zygosepalum, and is 
allied to Z. rostratum, Hook., having a similar beak-like rostellum, which 
is not apparent in the original plate, from which the description was 
prepared (Rolfe in Lindenia, t. 275), hence the species was wrongly 
supposed to belong to another section of the genus. It differs from 
Z. rostratum in having the lip closely and regularly striped with purple 
on a whitish ground. The sepals and petals are obscurely veined with 
purple-brown on a light ground, slightly tinged with greenish. The column 
is whitish, striped with purple in front, and has very large rounded wings. 
It will succeed in a warm, moist house, under the treatment given to Z. 
_fostratum, to which it bears much resemblance in general habit. 
