﻿THE ORCHID REVIEW. 



[May, 1904. 



ORCHIDS FROM WESTON BIRT. 



A magnificent series of flowers is sent from the collection of Captain 

 Holford, Westonbirt, Tetbury, by Mr. Alexander. There are twelve 

 beautiful forms of Odontoglossum crispum, which must have been cut from 

 very vigorous plants, as the size and substance of the flowers are remark- 

 able. One of them measures just over four inches from tip to tip of the 

 petals, which organs are over if inches across. It is a remarkably broad 

 and well-shaped flower, and several others are equal in shape but slightly 

 smaller. The two named forms are O. c. Iolanthe, a charming white form 

 with several red-brown blotches on the lip, and a single one on each lateral 

 sepal, and O. c. Argus, slightly flushed with rose, particularly on the sepals, 

 where there are many small brown dots, and a few others on the petals. 

 The lip is blotched as usual. The other forms include two beautiful whites 

 with some blotches on the lip, another prettily blotched also on the sepals, 

 a few others slightly flushed with rose, one of which bears a large blotch on 

 each sepal and a smaller one on the petals, and, lastly, a very pretty rosy- 

 purple form, slightly blotched with red-brown. O. Pescatorei Westonbirt 

 var., is a remarkably fine form, measuring three inches from tip to tip of the 

 petals, and the lip and all the segments are very broad aad round. There 

 are four beautiful varieties of O. X Adrianse, three of which are named. 

 The variety Lady Wantage is remarkably fine, measuring three inches in 

 diameter across the petals, the ground colour being light yellow, and the 

 blotches on the segments very large ; Mrs. R. Benson is even larger, and 

 has very broad segments, the ground colour cream white, and the blotches 

 large and deep red-brown ; while Mrs. Menzies is a smaller form with white 

 ground, very copiously blotched with purple brown ; quite a study in 

 mosaics. Lastly must be mentioned two forms of O. X Andersonianum, 

 the Westonbirt variety having large, richly-coloured blotches on the sepals 

 and lip. Three other fine flowers are sent. Cattleya Mendelii has the 

 sepals and petals very prettily flushed with rose, and the front lobe of the 

 lip brilliant purple-crimson. The size of the flower may be judged from the 

 fact that the petals are three inches broad. Laelio-cattleya X Dora has 

 the sepals and petals flushed with light salmon-colour, the throat of 

 the lip deep yellow, and the front lobe a brilliant crimson edged with lilac. 

 It is very beautiful. Lastly must be mentioned Paphiopedilum X illustre 

 (nitens X Lathamianum), a noble flower, with brightly-coloured villosum- 

 like petals, and the dorsal sepal with a very broad blackish purple median 

 area, some yellowish green on either side, and a white margin three- 

 quarters of an inch broad. The flowers are excellent in every respect, and 

 the plants from which they were cut must have remarkably well grown. 

 We hope some day to see this fine collection. 



