April-May, 1916.] 



ODONTOGLOSSUM CLOTHO. 



Hallii crispum triuniplums Harryanum 



Hallio-crispum Queen Alexandra 



I I (Carmen) 



Clotho 



Hallii as a species has been a despised one, 

 since the hybridist has found better results 

 accrue from those species that are analogous 

 and which grow in and around the habitat of 

 crispum, but still it produces a handsome 

 hybrid with anything that has Harryanum 

 in its composition. 



I raised the present plant from a poor 

 mother, but a fine pollen parent. Sepals and 

 petals have a deep yellow ground, very 

 heavily covered by bright deep chocolate, the 

 yellow bars and apices of the segments 

 standing in fine contrast to the deep brown 

 overlay. 



The lip is very large, bright deep yellow, 

 with a big central blotch of lighter brown, it 

 also has some small marginal spots at the 

 basal halves of the edges. Crest as usual in 

 Harryanum hybrids. Column light yellow. 

 — de B. Crawshay, Roscficld, Scz'cnoaks. 



ODONTOGLOSSUM ABA. 



Harryanum triumphans 



Edwardii Queen Alexandra 



Nature has laid down certain laws that we 

 hybridists can hardly crack, to say nothing of 

 breaking. One has proved itself in the 

 immense power of a pure species to preserve 

 itself from the attack of all comers to taint 

 that purity. 



I refer to the prepotency of Edwardii, 

 coming as it does from a habitat where it 

 seems never to have been able to cross with 

 anything, for the good reason that there was 

 nothing near it to disturb its solitude. 



The present hybrid is the result of a 

 selected fine Edwardii crossed by one of the 



155 



immense lipped Queen Alexandras, in the 

 hopes of a large lip on a pure purple flower; 

 hopes only very partially realised. 



The sepals and petals are, as usual, solid 

 deep purphsh-brown, without a trace of 

 marbling of any sort. The hp does certainl)- 

 deviate from the usual one in this race of 

 hybrids by being truncate and wedge-shaped, 

 having a very narrow margin of cream- 

 yellow, being covered by bright velvety 

 brown having a shimmer of purple in the 

 sunlight ; it is nearly flat and stands well, as 

 does that of Harryanum. 



It IS quite evident that it requires two more 

 crosses (a lifetime at the age that some of us 

 have attained) to secure the fine blooms of a 

 " Harryanum hybrid " and keep the deep 

 purple of Edwardii, and to do this only the 

 very deepest ground coloured forms must be 

 used, or the break-up of the solid colour may 

 ensure. 



This result I shall attempt at once in the 

 hope that someone else may see it if I do not. 

 It can be attained if properly approached.— 

 de B. Crawshay, Rosefield, Scvenoaks. 



Cypripediums.— Concerning the length of 

 time Cypripediums remain in flower the 

 longest record I have is five months, this 

 occurring m C. Leeanum magnificum, which 

 carried seven flowers. The plant was 

 exhibited at Manchester five times when we 

 were competing for the cups. Many others 

 we have exhibited four and five times, so they 

 must have been open three months, and were 

 afterwards cut for the house decoration, when 

 they lasted a considerable time in water. 

 Another record I happen to have is of a plant 

 of Vanda Sanderiana, which came into flower 

 on October 3rd, 191 3, was shown at Man- 

 chester on January 2gth, 1914, when it 

 received a First-class Certificate and Cultural 

 Commendation, and was not cut off until 

 March 3rd. No harm was done to the plant, 

 which is still in robust health, and has since 

 flowered twice, each time with a spike of eight 

 flowers.— Ti^. /. Morgan, Rami Lea Gardens, 

 Rainhill, Lanes. 



THE ORCHID WORLD. 



