AUGUST, 1908. ] THE ORCHID REVIEW. 231 
CATTLEYA x O’BRIENIANA. 
Mr. F. C. PuDDLE, Scampton Hall Gardens, Billington, Yorks., sends the 
two-flowered inflorescence and an old pseudobulb of a plant that was 
purchased at a London sale as newly imported Cattleya dolosa, but it is 
suggested that it may be a natural hybrid, because the habit is not at all like 
C. dolosa. The pseudobulb sent is rather over six inches long, and the 
flowers are intermediate in shape, over 44 inches in diameter, and light 
purple in colour. The petals are broad, the side lobes of the lip slightly ex- 
ceeding the column, and the disc white. It agrees with C. x O’Brieniana, 
which is now believed to be a natural hybrid between C. dolosa and C. 
Loddigesii, and whose history may be summarised as follows:—In 
December, 1889, Cattleya O’Brieniana was exhibited at a meeting of the R. 
H.S. by Messrs. Sander, and was recorded as a pale lilac flower, with the 
lip lined with purple on the upper surface (Gard. Chron., 1889, i. p. 700). 
A year later it was again exhibited, and received an Award of Merit, being 
recorded as a nice rosy lilac species (/. c. 1890, i, p. 702.) A plate was 
prepared for Reichenbachia, where the plant appeared as C. Loddigesii var. 
O’Brieniana, Rolfe (ser. 1, i. p. 85, t. 40,) and I remarked that the side lobes 
of the lip were shorter and altogether smaller than in typical C. Loddigesii, 
to which, however, it bore so close a resemblance in other respects that I 
did not see how to distinguish it except as a variety. Nothing was recorded 
of its habitat, but Messrs. Sander remarked—“ Its habit of growth when 
first seen led us to think we had at last received an importation of Lelia 
Jongheana, but when its flower buds appeared we were inclined to think it 
C. Harrisonie.” In December, 1894, information came to hand which 
placed its origin in a new light. A Cattleya flowered with M. A. A. Peeters, 
of Brussels, which it was clearly stated came out of an importation of 
Cattleya dolosa from the province of Minas Geraes, Brazil, and which 
I immediately identified with Messrs. Sander’s plant. This gave a clue to 
the dwarfed side lobes of the lip, and I then pointed out its resemblance to 
C. dolosa and C. Loddigesii, and expressed the opinion that it was a 
natural hybrid between them (O. R. iii. p. 11). Of the original plant I 
added :—‘‘ From enquiries made I am inclined to think it came either with 
C. dolosa or C. Loddigesii, or both—at all events, I am told that the last 
named came from thesame region . . . Had I known the history of the 
plant from the outset, and been able to compare it with each of the supposed 
parents, its hybrid origin might have been suspected before.” M. Forget 
has recently confirmed the evidence that the two species occur in the 
province of Minas Geraes, and are cool growers, and it would be interesting 
if some one would now cross them together, and thus complete the history 
R. 
of the plant. A. R. 
