April-May, igi6.j 



THE ORCHID WORLD. 



J 49 



Mr. W. Gilden, an unusually fine spike of this 

 natural hybrid between Rossii and niacu- 

 latum. It carries no less tlian 1 5 flowers, the 

 lower portion having' two branches. The 

 plant has been in the collection about sixteen 

 years, and usually produces spikes with, 10-12 

 flowers, which is more than the average 

 number for either parent. When exhibited at 

 the Manchester Orchid Society, March 2nd, 

 1 91 6, a Cultural Certificate was granted to 

 Mr. Gilden. 



Odontoglossum hastilabium. 



Odontoglossum hastilabium.— a stately 

 species, one of the discoveries of M. Linden, 

 who met with it on the eastern Cordillera of 

 Colombia, m the Estado Santander, in 1843. 

 It was next found by Purdie near Santa 

 Marta, m the extreme north-east of Colombia, 

 while collecting for the Royal Gardens at 

 Kew, and subsequently m other localities by 

 Schlim and Wagener. It is sparingly met 

 with in the neighbourhood of Ocana, where it 

 occurs at a somewhat lower elevation than is 

 usual for Odontoglossums, forming large 

 masses on the surface of the ground, the roots 

 creeping to a considerable distance among the 

 decaying vegetation. On the Sierra Nevada 

 de Santa Marta it is more abundant ; here, at 



an elevation of 0,ooo — 7,500 feet, it is usually 

 found attached to the stems of enormous 

 Lianas overhanging the mountain streams, 

 exposed to the influence of the rapid evapora- 

 tion which IS constantly going on in the 

 daytime in a temperature that ranges frcjm 

 10 — 15 degrees C. (50 — 60 degrees F.), but 

 which is considerably lower during the night. 

 Under these conditions it forms bulbs 

 0 inches long, and its stately panicles attain a 

 length of 4 — 6 feet. The first recorded 

 instance of its flowering in England was at 

 Syon House m August, 1846. Its flowering 

 season, however, both in its native country 

 and under glass, is late spring and summer. 

 The specific name refers to the shape of the 

 labellum. Flowers scented, sepals and petals 

 light yellow, shaded with green, barred and 

 spotted with purple-brown; lip white, purplish 

 at the base. 



II 1^ II 



Dendrobium Lady Colman. — When tins 

 wonderful hybrid between D. Artemis and D. 

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

 February loth, 1914, it was awarded a First- 

 class Certificate, and at once recognised as 

 the largest flower yet obtained in this genus. 

 It was raised in the collection of Sir Jeremiah 

 Colman, Bart., Gatton Park, Surrey, from 

 whom we have received a flower, and are thus 

 able to give the following; particulars : — Total 

 width, 4^ inches ; length of sepal, 2h ; width 

 of same, i i ; length of lip, 2 inches ; width of 

 same, i^. In colour rose-pink, increasing in 

 intensity towards the apical area of the seg- 

 ments, the yellowish lip having the central 

 eirea rich maroon, the front rose-pink. The 

 species concerned in the making of this hybrid 

 are nobile, aureum and Findlayanum. 



II 1^5 u 



Obituary. — We much regret to record the 

 death of Elizabeth Lady Lawrence, widow of 

 Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., late President of 

 the Royal Horticultural Society, which took 

 place March i8th. Lady Lawrence was 

 much interested in Orchids, and as recently as 

 the last Holland House Show exhibited some 

 fine examples of the interesting Cypripedium 

 Stonei platytaenium. 



VOL. VL 



20 



