* 
326 THE ORCHID REVIEW. 
flowered, perhaps for the first time in Europe. It is erect, about four 
feet high, with something of the habit of an Epistephium, and bears 
alternate, ovate-oblong, glaucous leaves, and two or three large purple 
flowers at the apex, which remain fresh for about five days. They may 
be compared with those of a large Bletia in general appearance, the sepals 
and petals being two and three-quarter incheslong. It isa native of Brazil, 
and was discovered by Gardner in moist, shady places near Natividade and 
Arrayas in the province of Goyaz, though it has also been met with in 
the Organ Mountains and elsewhere. About thirty species: are known of 
this igo group, but the Present is the sii one in cultivation. oa 
R.ASR: 
DIES ORCHIDIANZ. 
Ox idbking round our collections at this particular season one cannot help 
being struck with their brilliancy, as compared with a few years ago, a 
result which is largely due to the introduction of some two or three showy 
species in quantity... I naturally allude to those charming plants Cattleya 
labiata and Dendrobium Phalznopsis, and now Cypripedium Charlesworthii 
appears, to add variety to the effect, though this evidently flowers a little 
earlier than its two brilliant compeers, and perhaps in this respect may be 
classed with Cattleya. Rex, another handsome acquisition which at present 
is far less common. And we have a number of beautiful hybrids which 
may be mentioned in this connection, which if not common individually are 
rapidly becoming so in the aggregate, and each season adds to.the number. 
It is evident that in a few years we shall have a large accession of these 
autumn-blooming forms, which will add still further to the attractiveness of 
our collections at this dull season. ‘‘ Triumphs of Mr. Dominy’s misplaced 
ingenuity,” my dear old friend Serapias called them in his Dies Orchidiane 
of thirty years ago.‘ Hybridise everything else, if you will, but spare—oh 
spare—the Orchids.” : 
But still the hybridists pursued their relentless course, and our collections 
to-day are the richer in consequence. What the effect would be if all the 
hybrids were suddenly banished is something too awful to contemplate. 
And I, for one, anticipate a great development within the next few years, 
especially in such a genus as Cypripedium. Some of these have already 
‘such complex parentage, and the blood of the various species is becoming 
‘so © mixed by intercrossing, that new variations are sure to appear, and this, 
her with the increased opportunity of eliminating undesirable qualities 
by selection, is sure to yield some important results. ~ Cypripedium x cenan- 
Mr x Polletti 
ianum, and x Moensii furnish indications of what may. be 
