168 THE ORCHID REVIEW. [JuNE, 1909. 
SEEDS OF CYCNOCHES CHLOROCHILON. 
Tue following interesting account of the contents of a capsule of Cynoches 
chlorochilon, containing the enormous number of nearly four million seeds, 
appears in a recent issue of the Kew Bulletin. 
‘In March, 1896, a seed capsule of Cycnoches chlorochilon, Klotzsch, 
was obtained from Messrs. Hugh Low & Co. for preservation. It was fully 
developed, and had been cut from a recently imported plant. A drawing 
was made, after which the*capsule was cut longitudinally for convenience 
of drying, and the number of seeds proved so enormous that they were 
submitted. to Dr. Scott, then honorary keeper of the Jodrell Laboratory, 
with a view of ascertaining their approximate number.” 
The report we may summarise, but it showed the number of seeds in the 
capsule to be about 3% millions, the result being arrived at by weighing the 
mass of seeds, then weighing about 300 seeds separately, and calculating 
from these data the total number, which was approximately 3,770,000. I 
is added :— 
**¢ This is itself only a rough approximation, and as you said some seeds 
had been lost in opening the capsule you might take the total number at 
about four millions. In other words, the progeny of this single flower, if 
all the seeds came up, would be about equal to the population of London. 
‘* “The weight of each seed works out to the very minute figure of .0000036 _ 
grammes. . About 300,000 seedsto the gramme (very roughly).’ 
“This is much in excess of figures previously recorded for Orchid 
capsules. Darwin estimated the number of seeds in a capsule of Orchis 
maculata as about 6,200, and Mr. J. Scott, of the Royal Botanic Garden, 
Edinburgh, calculated the number of seeds in a capsule of Acropera as 
371,250, while F. Mueller informed Darwin that he found about 1,758,440 
seeds in the capsule of a Maxillaria in South Brazil. The seeds weighed 
424 grains, and he estimated the number by arranging half a grain of seed 
in a narrow line, and then counting a measured length. He adds that the 
same plant sometimes produces half a dozen capsules. It may be added 
that the capsule of Cycnoches chlorochilon under notice measured six 
inches long by two inches broad. The sexes are separate, and the female 
flowers so faras known are solitary, but the males are borne several together 
in a raceme.”—R. A. R. 
SMALL ORcHID HovusEs.—We are informed that there are many very 
small Orchid collections in the neighbourhood of Manchester, some of them 
in quite tiny home-built houses, whose owners are at work during the day. 
We should much like to publish an account of such a house and its contents, 
if anyone will kindly forward the necessary particulars. 
