﻿March, 1904.] 



THE ORCHID REVIEW. 



67 



ORCHIDS AT KEW. 



There is a remarkably brilliant display of flowers in the Orchid houses 

 at Kew at the present time, in which Dendrobiums, Cattleyas, Phaius, and 

 Calanthe Regnieri play a leading part, the former especially being in great 

 profusion. Of these D. Wardianum, D. nobile, and the numerous hybrids 

 come first in point of numbers, and the effect these plants produce when 

 well-flowered is well known, in fact the scene is duplicated in hundreds 

 of collections throughout the country at the present time. Other beautiful 

 forms now flowering freely are D. primulinum, in several good examples, 

 D. Findlayanum, D. crassinode, the delicately-coloured D. luteolum, D. 

 WiUiamsoni, D. superbiens, D. infundibulum, D. aureum, the natural 

 hybrid D. X Pitcherianum, and various artificial hybrids, among which 

 D. X Ainsworthii and its varieties, D. X Dominianum, D. Curtisii, the 

 fragrant D. X endocharis, D. X chrysodiscus, and D. X Wardiano- 



The genus Phaius is well represented by good examples of P. "Wallichii, 

 P. grandifolius, and P. Blumei, the clear yellow variety of the latter called 

 var. Bernaysii forming a very effective contrast with the type. The 

 beautiful Madagascar species P. tuberculosus and P. simulans are also both 

 in bloom, and it is interesting to note the great diversity in habit, and 

 remarkable similarity in their flowers. 



In the same house with the preceding may be seen a number of other 

 showy things, some well-flowered plants of the graceful Platyclinis 

 glumacea, and several rarities, of which latter a few particulars may be 

 interesting. Cynorchis villosa is a very pretty Orchis-like plant, having 



•erect spikes of very villous purple flowers with a white lip. It was 

 introduced from Madagascar by M. Warpur. Oncidium macropetalum 

 is a pretty little species of the O. barbatum group which is seldom seen in 

 cultivation, and is remarkable for its relatively large petals. Spiranthes 

 plantaginea is a Brazilian species bearing several spikes of small green 

 flowers with a white lip, and beside it is another species having pale 

 flesh-coloured flowers whose identity seems uncertain. The allied Pelexia 

 olivacea has larger greenish flowers and variegated leaves. Calanthe 

 rubens alba is a pure white variety of a species of the vestita group allied 

 to C. Regnieri. Lastly may be mentioned Maxillaria sanguinea, a most 



■ elegant little plant of the M. gracilis group, having a bright crimson lip, 

 and now flowering freely. Near by is a brilliant little hybrid derived from 



•Cattleya amethystoglossa and C. Lawrenceana. 



In the Cattleya house are many forms of C. Trianae and C. Schrcederae, 

 producing a fine display, also examples of C. Loddigesii, a good Laelia 

 Jongheana, and the brilliant L. harpophylla, Leptotes bicolor, the interest- 



