350 THE ORCHID REVIEW. [NOvEMBER, 1909. 
A flower of the rare Dendrobium Ccelogyne is sent from the collection ot 
W.R. St. Quinton, Esq., Scampston Hall, Rillington, by Mr. F.C. Puddle, 
together with a seedling from Paphiopedilum X nitens superbum X 
Charlesworthii. It is a form of P. X Thornianum (Orch. Stud-Book, p. 307), 
and the dorsal sepal is prettily blotched with rose-purple on a white ground. 
SPECIES KNOWN FROM DESCRIPTION ONLY. 
Tue difficulty of identifying species of Orchids from description is not 
always fully appreciated, and although not confined to Orchids there are 
few groups to which it applies with greater force, owing to their complexity 
of structure. This fact emphasises the importance of preserving dried 
specimens and drawings for future reference. The difficulty mentioned is 
necessarily increased when descriptions are incomplete or inadequate, in 
which connection the following incident may be interesting. A name being 
-wanted for a species of Stanhopea allied to S. Wardii, we looked up the 
descriptions of missing species ofthat affinity, and found the following :— 
‘‘STANHOPEA COSTARICENSIS aff., St. Wardii, hypochilio pandurato, 
inferne profunde intruso, hinc quasi bigibbo, gibbere antico curvato, 
transverso, postice utrinque carinato, canali subclauso. 
Von Costa Rico in Herrn Consul Schiller’s Sammlung.” 
‘*‘ STANHOPEA GIBBOSA, sp. n., aff., Stanhopeze Wardii hypochilio incurvo, 
latere utroque superiore unicarinato, lato, pectore arguto przcincto, canali 
angustissimo, aperto, portione apposita lata eboracea quadrata utrinque, 
cornubus falcato ligulatis ; epichilio oblongo acuto, basi gibbere solido 
magno ; columne curve auriculis anguste triangulis, alis semiovatis angustis 
a medio auriculas usque. 
A species in the way of Stanhopea Wardii, but quite distinct. We 
obtained it from Messrs. Veitch & Sons. H.G.Rchb. fil.” 
This is the complete record. No dimensions, no record of colour, no 
mention of sepals and petals, and in one case no record of country, and if 
an attempt is made to ascertain the missing details by consulting the 
original specimens, one finds them sealed up for a quarter of a century so 
that none may look at them. And yet botanical laws and customs which 
are powerless to prevent such an outrage can render such names sacrosanct 
by a law of priority. One may be anxious to avoid imposing a new name 
and yet powerless to prevent it by the sheer impossibility of ascertaining to 
which species the names really apply. Perhaps they are already redescribed. 
Some curious questions will probably arise when the Reichenbachian 
Herbarium is opened. Meantime should anyone happen to have a sketch 
or other material which may throw light on the missing species, we hope to 
be favoured with the information. RiyAay He 
