﻿THE ORCHID REVIEW. 



[October, 1904. 



SATYRIUM AURANTIACUM. 



A species of Satyrium is described and figured in a recent issue of the 

 Journal of Horticulture (1904, ii., pp. 256, 258) under the name of Satyrium 

 aurantiacum, T. S. Ware. It is said to have been " shown at a Royal 

 Horticultural Society's meeting in 1889 by Messrs. T. S. Ware, Ltd., and 

 was so named by them, but we can find no other recognised authority for 

 the name. The leaves are broad, the flower spike compact and long, the 

 flowers being of a rich orange colour."' On looking back we find that the 

 name and figure appeared fifteen years ago (Journ. Hort., 1904, ii., p. 285, 

 fig. 36), and it is rather curious that the plant should not have been iden- 

 tified in the interval, for it has frequently flowered under its original name 

 of S. coriifolium, Swartz, which it has borne for over a century. It has, 

 however, a rather confused history, for Loddiges in 1818 figured it as S. 

 cucullatum {Bot. Cab., ii., t. 104), but it is not Swartz's plant of that name; 

 and Lindley included it under S. erectum (Gen. and Sp. Orch., p. 340). 

 Then it is the S. aureum of Paxton (Mag. of Bot., xvi., p. 31, with plate). 

 It is a native of South Africa, and it may be interesting to give Mr. Bolus' 

 note respecting it (Orch. Cape Penins., p. 124) : — "One of the commonest 

 species on the Peninsula, and one which remains the longest in flower. It 

 is especially abundant on the Flats, where insatiable flower-gatherers in 

 spring carry off large batches of the scapes. The flowers are a clear bright 

 orange, more or less varying to cr tinged with a flame-coloured red. The 

 colour seems constant, and easily distinguishes this species from any other, 

 though I have seen plants from Diep River, which appeared to be hybrids 

 between this species and S. carneum, and which had salmon coloured 

 flowers only slightly modified in structure." The species is figured at 

 t. 2172 of the Botanical Magazine, and a variety maculatum at t. 7289 of the 

 same work. This latter flowered in the collection of H. J. Elwes, Esq., 

 Colesborne, Gloucestershire, and also at Kew. This variety differs from 

 the type in having deep yellow flowers, spotted with red, and Sir Joseph 

 Hooker remarks that it " may possibly prove to be a hybrid," though 

 without making any suggestion as to its parentage. The plant figured by 

 Maund as S. erectum (Botanist, in., t. 117), probably belongs to this variety, 

 for the lowermost flowers are spotted in a similar way, but the spots are 

 not shown on the upper flowers. It is said to have been collected on the 

 Table Mountain, by a young German named Siebold, and was sent by him 

 to Mr. Skirving, of Walton Nursery, near Liverpool, in May, 1838, and 

 that it flowered in Mr. Skirving's stove in the following February. Mr. 

 Bolus does not mention a spotted variety, and thus the exact status of this 

 variety remains somewhat uncertain. It is interesting to collect the history 

 of this very distinct and pretty, but sadly confused, species. R. A. R. 



