154 



REPORT ON THE 



Odontoglossa ascend the Andes almost to the snow line, and 

 that the little Epidendrum conopseum can endure the cold 

 winters of Georgia and Louisiana, we may yet hope in time to 

 obtain epiphytic Orchids which can be grown in the open air, at 

 least in our south-western counties. 



A very interesting series of Orchids in fruit was shown by 

 Messrs. Yeitch. The study of the forms of the capsules of 

 Orchids has been hitherto too much neglected, and, indeed, the 

 fruit of many even well-known genera have not yet been 

 described. One reason for this is to be found in the fact that 

 botanical collectors rarely obtain complete specimens of Orchids 

 with both fruit and flowers, and without the latter it is almost 

 impossible to identify the plant, and, furthermore, the fruits are 

 a good deal injured by pressing, and their form rendered difficult 

 to make out. 



The capsules of most Orchids consist of six valves in two 

 whorls, the outer ones are narrow and barren, while those of the 

 inner series are broad and bear on their inner service the 

 placentas with the minute circles. These valves bear, usually, 

 ridges running down the middle, and commonly the outer 

 valves are reduced to the ridges only, in the form of slender ribs 

 alternating with the broad seed-bearing inner valves. Some- 

 times the valves and their ridges are nearly equal and sometimes 

 the ridges are absent. Besides variations in these respects, the 

 first varies in shape and outline, it may be long and narrow as 

 in the Vanilla, or short and thick as in Cattleya. Usually the 

 placentas do not run the whole length of the capsule, but between 

 their termination and the base of the column is a larger or 

 shorter portion, which is generally narrower than the body of 

 the capsule and forms a kind of beak. 



These various forms were well illustrated by the exhibits of 

 Messrs. Yeitch, Smee and Cookson. The long, narrow, pod-like 

 form was represented by the fruits of Vanilla planifoUa, almost 

 cylindrical, with no ridges and only grooves to mark the six- 

 partite origin of the fruit. They were quite soft and pulpy, of 

 a rich chocolate brown, and deliciously scented. Phalamvpsis 

 SehiUeriana has also a long pod, about four inches in length, 

 cylindrical, thicker and shorter than that of Vanilla, and with 

 more distinct grooves. Cypripedium has also a sub -cylindrical 

 elongate fruit. 



Sophronitis grandiflora has an elongate fruit with distinct 

 ridges and a very conspicuous beak. 



