36 THE ORCHID REVIEW. [Fepruary, 1908. 
I have ascertained the interesting fact that this pollen not only resembles 
an ointment, but that it is one in reality. It consists of a real fat of the 
consistency of butter, in which innumerable free pollen cells are enclosed, 
These cells are of yellow colour, and of a shape somewhat resembling a 
spherical tetrahedron. They are thus very similar to the cells which make 
up the ordinary Orchid pollen. But the most remarkable thing is the 
manner in which these cells are set free from their protective casing of fat 
and appropriated to their ultimate object. 
The stigma of the Paphiopedilum flower produces no viscid fluid, but it 
contains a ferment similar to those which have of late been discovered in 
many seeds. This ferment saponifies the fat and makes it soluble in the 
water, which condenses and perhaps exudes on the surface of the stigma. 
The pollen cells gradually become surrounded by an aqueous liquid instead 
of a fatty one, and as soon as this is the case they begin to produce the 
well-known pollen tubes, which penetrate into the ovary and accomplish 
the fertilisation of the ovules. 
It is comparatively easy to observe this remarkable phenomenon. If 
one examines the stigma of a Paphiopedilum a fortnight or three weeks 
after fertilising it, the pollen will be still there, but it has lost its trans- 
parency and has become opaque. Scraped off it can now be easily mixed 
with water (which is repelled by fresh pollen), and a glance through the 
microscope reveals the pollen cells swimming about in the aqueous liquid. 
The lipolytic action of the ferment contained in the stigma of the 
Pahiopedilum flower is rather slow. This is the reason why this class of 
Orchid flower does not fade on being fertilised, but, on the contrary, seems 
to become more durable by the operation. Orto N. WITT. 
Westend, near Berlin. 
ORCHID CULTURE IN JAVA. 
Our readers will remember the very interesting articles on ‘ Orchid-grow- 
ing and Collecting in Java,” from the pen of Mr. E. Connell (O.R. xiv. pp- 
93, 257; 294). We have now another interesting letter from him, from 
which we have extracted the following. Mr. Connell was pleased to see two 
paragraphs devoted to Javan Orchids in a recent issue, namely Phaius 
amboinensis (O.R. xv. p. 284) and Cirrhopetalum biflorum (p. 286), and 
thinks that they came from his’ collection, and formed part of the many 
curious and interesting Orchids that come into his possession from time to 
time. He sent plants to England some time ago. He has greatly increased 
the list of species previously mentioned, and some of them Mr. J. J. Smith, 
of the Botanical Gardens at Buitenzorg, is unable to identify at present. 
Mr. Connell mentions a number of these, but the majority are not known 
in European gardens, and we may omit the details. 
. 
