I\f;irrli, 1916.] 



IIII-: ORCini) WORLD. 



129 



Somewhere about the same time, Messrs. 

 Veitch, of Chelsea, exhibited Cymbidium 

 Wilsonii, from Yunnan, and named after their 

 collector. 



A later importation from Annam gave 

 Messrs. Sander several plants indistin- 

 guishable from FAnsonii, a plant which had 

 previously flowered with Messrs. Low and 

 Co., and supposed to be a natural hybrid 

 between Tracyanum and Lowianum, and of 

 which the Cymbidium known as Mandaianum 

 is probably a colour form. Also a plant 

 labelled by Micholitz as distinct and carrying" 

 21 flowers on the spike. This passed into the 

 collection of Mr. G. Hamilton-Smith, Leigh 

 Woods, Bristol, and was named Cooperi, but 

 when exhibited it was regarded as being 

 probably the same as glebelandense (Schro- 

 deri x insigne), a hybrid raised in the collec- 

 tion of Mr. J. Gurney Fowler. It must be 

 said that there is great doubt as to the 

 synonymy of these two plants. The imported 

 form has much more fleshy flowers and a 

 difference both in the lip and colour ; since 

 its appearance two other plants have 

 flowered with Messrs. Sander which are 

 probably forms of Cooperi, but they differ 

 both from it and glebelandense. Unfortu- 

 nately, comi^arison between a series of 

 flowers from the imported plants and the 

 garden hybrid has not yet been possible. 



With Cymbidium Cooperi, adhering to that 

 name to prevent further confusion, came a 

 second species, or hybrid, C. roseum. This 

 was thought to have similar parents, but 

 several plants have flowered and are con- 

 siderably distinct from glebelandense. There 

 is certainly a slight resemblance to insigne, 

 but the colour and shape are so modified that 

 it seems almost impossible that Schroderi 

 should be the other parent ; it is more 

 reasonable to presume that it is a true species, 

 or, failing that, a hybrid between insigne and 

 some species not yet discovered. 



The old difficulty of exactly defining a 

 species occurs here, but when it is remem- 

 bered that of the above-mentioned plants 

 seven were new to cultivation, and that 

 although Yunnan, Annam, Upper Burmah 

 and .Siam are contiguous, the possibility of 

 other hybrids or species existing in the region 



VOL. VL 



seems quite feasible. Only one species comes 

 from Yunnan. 



It may be, too, that climate or local environ- 

 ment has greatly modified the different forms, 

 perhaps within a comparatively small area. 

 The form of giganteum certainly differs horti- 

 culturally from the type. The bulbs seem 

 larger, more green and fleshy, and the 

 inflorescence is shorter and carries fewer 

 flowers, which, however, are much brighter 

 and more red in colour. This statement must 

 be taken broadly and as applying to types 

 rather than to individual plants and varieties. 

 While referring to C. giganteum it may be of 

 interest to note that a flower of this species, 

 collected in Queensland, was sent to the 

 writer, and it agreed exactly with the Annam 

 form. 



Again, as regards the species called 

 Ballianum. If not really distinct, the Annam 

 variety is certainly not as large and bold- 

 flowered as the original forms which were 

 imported by Messrs. Sander with C. eburneum 

 and flowered for the first time in i8g8 or 

 1899. The natural hybrid theory was 

 suggested then and eburneum and Mastersii 

 hazarded as parents, but the original 

 Ballianum was almost, if not quite, as large 

 as eburneum, and the influence of Mastersii 

 must surely have reduced the size and 

 substance. If, however, eburneum could be 

 crossed with the Annam Ballianum the 

 resulting hybrid should be, theoretically, like 

 the original. Neither in roseum nor Cooperi 

 does Ballianum appear to enter. 



The plant first shown and certificated 

 under the name Sanderee is also very inter- 

 esting. So far, but three or four plants are 

 known to exist in cultivation. The plant first 

 recorded developed a spike during the 

 voyage home, and only by careful nursing 

 was it kept alive and brought into flower. 

 .Since then it has been reduced to a variety of 

 Parishii, a rare Cymbidium, which, so far as is 

 known, is not now in cultivation. It has been 

 considered both as a good species and a form 

 of eburneum. The e.xact habitat of the 

 original Parishii is not definitely known. It 

 was said to have come from Burmah; possibly 

 it did so from the Annam side, but more 

 probably from the eburneum district. Future 



18 



