ERD ONE 
January, 1908.] THE ORCHID REVIEW. 7 
when growing. Orchids would not keep their roots when potted in it, and 
this is just what they do when potted in a mixture of these fibres. Mr. 
Balmforth has plants potted in Osmunda only and in Polypodium only, and 
in a mixture of the two. The conclusions which he has so far arrived at 
point to a mixture of half and half as being best suited for Cattleyas, while 
Odontoglossums, which like a closer material, should have two parts of 
Polypodium to one of Osmunda. To these mixtures, of course, a sprinkling 
of moss is added. One has here a compost that is durable and porous, and 
to judge from the growth which the plants are making in it it contains all 
the plant food that epiphytal Orchids require. But its strong point is that 
it keeps the roots, overwatering being nearly impossible. These are 
materials that I should strongly advise everybody to try—as I myself am 
going to do—and I think we shall see a change for the better in Cattleya 
growing. There are no flowering greenhouse plants in any way comparable 
to a well grown Cattleya, and there is no gainsaying the fact that generally 
speaking Cattleyas and their allies have been hitherto but indifferently 
grown in this country. Is a judicious mixture of Osmunda and Polypodium 
fibres going to do the trick ? 
THE GENUS PORPAX. 
A REMARKABLE little Orchid has been cultivated at Kew for a long time, and 
has been figured in the Botanical Magazine (t. 7329), under the name of 
Eria Meirax. Recently it has appeared at the Royal Botanic Garden, 
Glasnevin, a plant obtained from Messrs. Sander & Sons proving identical. 
Unfortunately two plants have been confounded under the name, and it 
may be interesting to put the matter right. The cultivated plant is a native 
of Sikkim, and was discovered by Mr. H. J. Elwes, who sent it to Kew, 
where it flowered in November, 1880. It was then thought to be identical 
with the Burmese Cryptochilus Meirax (Par. and Rchb. f. in Trans. Linn. 
Soc. xxx. p. 148), which was transferred to Eria, under the name of E. 
Meirax (N. E. Br. in Gard. Chron., 1880, ii. p- 603). It was afterwards 
described by Reichenbach under the name of Eria Elwesii (Gard. Chron., 
1883, i. p. 402), when it flowered in the collection of Sir Charles Strickland, 
Bart., Hildenley, Malton, the author remarking that it was a tiny little 
dwarf and a great curiosity. The bulbs may be compared to miniature 
onions, under half an inch across, bearing early in the year a pair of small 
spreading elliptical leaves, which perish in the autumn, and are succeeded 
by a small reddish brown tubular flower, on a very short oblique pedicel. 
The plant belongs to Lindley’s genus Porpax, and has been described and 
figured under the name of Porpax Meirax (King and Pantl. in Anu. Roy. 
Bot. Gard. Calc. viii. p. 114, t. 158), but unfortunately two distinct species are 
included. The name Porpax MErIRAX must therefore be restricted to be 
