SOME OF THE BEST NEW ORCHIDS. 



89 



recent introductions, such kinds as by their beauty, dis- 

 tinctness and general merit, appear likely to obtain a 

 permanent footing among cultivated orchids. 



Cypripediums. — The most notable of the later addi- 

 tions to this popular genus are C. Elliollianiiin and C. 

 Rothschihiianuiii (Fig. i, page 87), both belonging to the 

 group of which the beautiful (. . Stonei is the best known 

 species. C. Ellioltiannm was introduced from the Phil- 

 ippine Islands in 

 1888, It has 

 bright green 

 leaves a foot to 

 eighteen inches 

 long, the flower- 

 scape, which 

 bears two to 

 five flowers, 

 being almost 

 as much in 

 height. The dor- 

 sal sepal is ob- 

 long, two and 

 one-half inches 

 long, the ivory 

 white ground be- 

 ing striped with 

 dark crimson 

 lines. The petals 

 are five inches 

 long, white, 

 blotched with 

 crimson, the 

 edges undulated 

 and fringed with 

 hairs. Thepouch 

 is one and one- 

 half inches long 

 and of a reddish 

 brown color. 



C. RolJiscIiild- 

 iamim is very 

 nearly allied to 

 the preceding, 

 the flowers being 

 practically the 

 same in shape, 

 but it is a native 

 of New Guinea. 

 The dorsal sepal 

 is yellowish, 



striped with black purple, the petals being also blotched 

 and striped with the same color ; the pouch is leathery 

 in texture, and of a cinnamon-red color. Professor 

 Reichenbach, who named this species, described it as 

 one of the most astonishing plants he had ever seen, 

 The staminode is of rather remarkable shape, and has 

 been aptly compared to a crane's head and beak. 



C. bellatulitm . — This species, when compared to the 

 two previous ones, effectively shows the wide range of 



V.\ND.\ Kimballiana 



cypripediums, both in habit and flower. It belongs to 

 the dwarfest section of lady-slippers, being closely allied 

 to C. iik'CHiii and C. concolor. Although it rarely ex- 

 ceeds four or five inches in height, it is the largest and 

 most remarkable of this little group. The leaves are 

 leathery and sometimes as much as eight to ten inches 

 long, the upper surface marbled with gray and green. 

 The flower is borne on a scape four inches high, and is 



usually three to 

 four inches in 

 diameter. The 

 whole flower is 

 white, boldly 

 marked with nu- 

 merous spots of 

 black purple. It 

 cannot be said 

 to have the 

 charm of either 

 C. niveitin or C. 

 contolor, but is 

 infinitely more 

 striking. To the 

 every-day visitor 

 at Kew a flower- 

 ing plant is usu- 

 ally the chief 

 object of inter- 

 est in the orchid 

 houses. It is a 

 native of the 

 islands near 

 Cochin China. 



A"b e a u t i f u 1 

 and distinct va- 

 riety of the old 

 C'. imigiie has 

 been introduced 

 lately. It is 

 called Sanderas ; 

 the g r o u n-d 

 color, instead of 

 being the yel- 

 lowish-green of 

 the type, is here 

 of a primrose 

 yellow. By many 

 it is considered 

 the finest form of 

 this useful cy- 

 pripedium yet kn'own to culti\ators anywhere. 



The genus cypripedium lends itself to the hybridizer's 

 art more readily than any other, and the list of new 

 hybrids is consequently a very long one. No good pur- 

 pose would be served by attempting to enumerate them, 

 as they mostly exist only as individuals. The follow- 

 ing, however, which have flowered during the last 

 twelve months, are so meritorious as to be worthy of 

 mention. The beauty of all three is so marked that 



See Page 90, ) 



