ORCHID CONFERENCE. 



145 



The Barkerias have been reduced by Mr. Bentham to a 

 section of Epidendrum. They seem, however, to possess 

 sufficiently distinctive characters to be kept separate. Most of 

 the species have been in cultivation, but none were shown at the 

 exhibition. 



The Cattleyas were very extensively represented, as would 

 naturally be imagined, and included, besides, a very large number 

 of plants of labiata section, several of a more distinctly botanical 

 interest. Among the latter were C. Forhcsii (Lindley) , shown by 

 Sander, C. Acklandia (Lindley) and elatior var.Leopoldi, brought by 

 H. Low, and C. citrina (Lindley), of which several plants were 

 shown. This is probably the most northern species of Cattleya, 

 and is unique in the genus for its oval pseudo-bulbs, glaucous 

 leaves, and pendant half-opened flower. There were also several 

 splendid plants of C. SHwneri, perfect masses of flowers. 



The highly polymorphic C. labiata was represented by 

 numberless forms, bearing as many names, and most of the well- 

 known varieties were shown, the most striking of which was the 

 fine white variety Wageneri, shown by Mr. Sander, who obtained 

 a first-class certificate for it. 



The whole genus was at one time referred by Professor 

 Reichenbach to the genus Epidendrum, and indeed there are 

 connecting links in the form of such plants as E. Boothianum 

 (Lindley). Mr. Bentham has, however, kept the genus distinct, on 

 account of the free lip embracing the column. The relations of 

 the Cattleyas with the Laelias is also of some interest. Hitherto the 

 number of polhnia, eight in Laalia, four in Cattleya, have been con- 

 sidered as sufficient to keep the two apart. In view, however, of 

 the remarkable facts set forth in Mr. Veitch's paper on hybridiza- 

 tion, it may well be doubted whether this view is the correct one, 

 as the two genera seem to cross, in some instances at least, very 

 readily. One of those hybrids is Lalia bella (C. labiata x 

 L. purpurata), a plant of great "beauty, shown by Baron Schroder. 



The Laelias were of course as well represented as the Cattleyas, 

 and included L. purpurata, Schroederi elegans, with the variety 

 Schilleriana; lobata, shown by Sir Trevor Lawrence, and autumnal is, 

 while L. xanthina and cimiabarina, shown by J. Southgate, 

 represented the orange-flowered section. 



The finest species of the small genus Tetramicraor Leptotes, 

 T. bicolor, a well-known plant, with its curious fleshy terete 



K 



