﻿THE ORCHID REVIEW. 



MacMillan at a meeting of the Gardeners' Association there, and was 

 greatly admired for its perfect health and beauty. 



" Perching Plants " was the subject of a lecture by Prof. J. B. Farmer, 

 F.L.S., at a meeting of the Richmond Athenaeum, on February 29th. The 

 lecture was illustrated by lantern slides of numerous species of Orchids and 

 other plants, which "perch" and grow upon other plants or upon support 

 other than that afforded by the bosom of the earth. Professor Farmer 

 showed by description and illustration how the roots and other parts of the 

 organisms of these plants are designed to meet the exigencies of their 

 peculiar methods of existence, drawing nourishment and water from the air 

 or from the comparatively unpromising field which their rootlets occupy. 



On the same date, at a meeting of the Kew Gardens Mutual Improve- 

 ment Association, a lecture was given by Mr. R. A. Rolfe, entitled 

 " Structure and Fertilisation of Orchids," when the structure of many of 

 the principal types, and the method o'f fertilisation, were explained and 

 illustrated by a series of drawings. 



A paper entitled "Hybrids in Spiranthes and Habenaria," by Oakes 

 Ames, appeared in a recent issue of Rhodora, of which we have received a 

 copy. A new form is described and figured under the name of Spiranthes 

 X intermedia (t. 47), which is regarded as a natural hybrid between 

 S. gracilis and S. praecox, in close proximity to which it was found growing, 

 in dry upland fields at Easton, Bristol County, Mass. It appears to be quite 

 intermediate in character. The Habenaria is supposed to be a natural 

 hybrid between H. psycodes and H. lacera. 



In a later issue Mr. Ames describes and figures a second Spiranthes 

 under the name of S. neglecta (t. 51). It is regarded as a new species allied 

 to S. precox. 



A flower of a hybrid Paphiopedilum, derived from P. X Harrisianum 

 superbum $ and P. X Lathamianum 3 , is sent from the collection of 

 Reginald Young, Esq., Sefton Park, Liverpool. It is thus a form of P. X 

 Pryorianum, and it is interesting to compare it with a figure in Cogniaux's 

 Dictionnaire. The two differ greatly in detail, the present one being much 

 larger and darker, having in point of fact largely retained the characters of 

 the seed parent, while the Spicerianum influence seems to have been lost. 

 It illustrates once more the great variability of secondary hybrids, and 

 Mr. Young remarks :— " I can vouch for the accuracy of the parentage." 



The Orchid Stud Book..— We request intending subscribers to this 

 work to fill up and return the subscription form issued with our last number 

 as early as possible. 



