I)cccnil>cr, lyi.S-] 



ORCIIll) WORLD. 



6t 



affected, the plants never get well established 

 in the glass houses of this country, and die 

 m the course of two or three years after 

 importation. With thoroughly sound plants 

 the case is more hopeful ; teak baskets arc 

 usually preferred, and as they require but a 

 very small quantity of compost, a good 

 drainage can always be secured. The 

 compost should consist of the usual propor- 

 tions of sphagnum and fibrous peat, with 

 which many cultivators mix some pieces of 

 charcoal. The habitat of the species indicates 

 a high tem.])erature and moist atmosphere, 

 and these conditions are therefore necessary, 

 especially while the plant is growing. 



DIACRIUM HYBRIDS. 



THE first Diacrium hybrid made ils 

 appearance in 1905, when, on March 

 14th, Messrs. Veitch and Sons 

 exhibited at the R.H.S. Dialaelia Veitchii (D. 

 bicornutum x L. cinnabarina). It carried an 

 erect inflorescence, 2 feet in height, the upper 

 portion having about 10 flowers, each 

 2 inches across, and of varying lilac and 

 bronze tints. A Botanical Certificate was 

 awarded by the Scientific Committee on 

 account of its interesting nature. 



Dialaelia langleyensis (D. bicornutum x L. 

 purpurata), which appeared in 191 3, was also 

 raised by Messrs. Veitch (Orchid World, 

 Vol. III., p. 112), and with the above 

 constitute the only two Dialarlias so far 

 recorded. 



Epidiacnum was established to contain the 

 hybrids between Diacrium and Epidendrum. 

 Scarcely two months had passed since the 

 flowering of the first Diacrium hybrid when 

 Sir Jeremiah Colman exhibited Epidiacnum 

 gattonense (D. bicornutum x E. radicans). It 

 resembled a dwarf form of the latter parent, 

 and carried a terminal head of reddish-scarlet 

 flowers. Exhibited at the R.H.S., May 9th, 

 1905. 



Epidiacrium Boundii (D. bicornutum x E. 

 Ellisii), also raised in the Gatton Park 

 collection, was exhibited at the R.H.S. 



Scientific Committee, April 16th, 1907. The 

 plant bore flowers of a pinkish colour. 



Epidiacrium Colmanii (D. bicornutum x E. 

 ciliare) made its appearance in the si)ring of 

 1908 in the same noted collection as the two 

 prex iousl)' mentioned Epidiacriums. 



Diacattleya Colmani^e (D. bicornutum x C. 

 intermedia nivea) is another interesting result 

 obtained in the Gatton Park collection. 

 When exhibited at the R.H.S., Feb. nth, 

 1908, it obtained an Award of Merit. The 

 flowers, which measured about 3.J inches 

 across, were pure white, the three-lobed hp 

 tinged with sulphur on the front half. 



Diacattleya Sandera^ (D. bicornutum x C. 

 Mendelii) was raised by Messrs. Sander and 

 Sons, the flowers being of good shape, white, 

 with slight rose markings on the hp. It 

 received an Award of Merit, R.H.S., 

 April 25th, 191 1. 



Diacattle\'a extraria (D. bicornutum x C. 

 Louryana) was first seen in 1909. Its specific 

 name is derived from the word extraordinary, 

 for this indeed is the nature of the flower as 

 well as its parentage. C. Louryana is a 

 natural hybrid, probably between bicolor and 

 intermedia, which received a First-class 

 Certificate, R.H.S., May 28th, 1891, when 

 exhibited by Messrs. Sander and Sons. D.-C. 

 extraria was raised in the collection of Sir 

 Jeremiah Colman, Bart. 



Dialaeliocattleya embraces the three genera, 

 the first example being D.-L.-C. gattonensis 

 (D. bicornutum x L.-C. Cappei). Although 

 raised m the collection of Sir Jeremiah 

 Colman and flowered in 1908, it does not 

 appear to have been recorded until two years 

 later, when the name Gatton Rose was 

 applied. The flowers, however, are not rose- 

 coloured but white, so the name gattonensis 

 really appears more suitable. 



Dialaeliocattleya multi-juga (L.-C. high- 

 buryensis x D. bicornutum) made its appear- 

 ance in the Gatton Park collection in 1908. 

 L.-C. highburyensis is L. cinnabarina x C. 

 Lawrenceana, and in order to show how 

 ridiculous it would be if raisers persisted m 

 attempting to show in the name what the 

 parents were. Sir Jeremiah made this an 

 example b)- the following" designation: — 



