﻿THE ORCHID REVIEW. [September, 1904. 



A handsome water-colour painting of Paphiopedilum X Rolfei (P. 

 bellatulum X Rothschildianum) is sent by Mr. Charles Storer, of Pro- 

 vidence, R.I., U.S.A., who states that it bloomed in the collection of J. E. 

 Rothwell, Esq., in July of the present year. The scape bears two flowers, 

 and the dorsal sepal is more heavily veined than in the form figured at page 

 305 of our ninth volume, while the petals are also shorter and broader. 

 Mr. Storer, who has been painting and studying Orchids for twenty-five 

 years, remarks that he thought we should like to hear of its flowering in 

 America, and also to see a painting, but he does not state whether the plant 

 was raised there, or whether it is one from Mr. Appleton's original batch of 



VANILLA HUMBLOTII. 



Indian Gardening has fallen into a curious double mistake with regard to 

 this handsome species, which should be corrected. The issue for August 

 6th (page 552), contains the following paragraph :— 



"The Seychelle Vanilla.— Mr. Rolfe, in the Orchid Review for July, 

 1904, has an interesting article on Vanilla Humblotii, which has just 

 flowered in the collection of Sir Trevor Lawrence, and which, Mr. Rolfe 

 says, is a native of the Seychelle Islands. This is probably the species cul- 

 tivated in those islands which yields the Vanilla beans of commerce which 

 come from there." 



It is curious how the mistake arose, for the article is reproduced in full, 

 and states that Vanilla Humblotii was originally described from the Great 

 Comoro Islands, and that a plant which was afterwards sent from Madagascar 

 by M. Hamelin, under the name of Vanilla Phalsenopsis, Rchb. f., proved 

 on flowering to be different from that Seychelle Islands species, and was 

 believed to be identical with the one from the Comoro Islands. The fur- 

 ther inference that the species described was the one which yields the 

 " Vanilla beans " of commerce is equally curious, for the commercial plant 

 is well known to be Vanilla planifolia, a native of Mexico and Central 

 America, which is cultivated in various parts of the world and has become 

 an important industry in the Seychelle Islands. V. planifolia is very 

 different from the two species above mentioned, which, it was pointed out, 

 belonged to the leafless section of the genus,and none of the latter are of 

 commercial importance. An account of the Vanillas of commerce was 

 given at pp. 308-311 of our third volume, and it may be added that none of 

 them belong to the leafless section of the genus. Several species of the 

 genus are still very imperfectly known, and among them are two or 

 three recorded as having aromatic fruits, whose history it is desirable to 

 clear up, if the necessary materials can be obtained. 



