174 



IHI': ORCHlh WORLD. 



[June-Jul\, lyK). 



O. Pescaturei obtained a considerable 

 amount of notoriety through the raising of 

 O. ardentissimum (crispum x Pescatorei), first 

 seen at the Temple Show, May, 1902, when 

 exhibited by M. Vuylsteke under the name 

 O. cnspum ardentissimum. Blotched crispums 

 were then realising high prices, and it may 

 have been due to this fact that M. Vuylsteke 

 made the attempt, and succeeded, in pro- 

 ducing what were in some respects blotched 

 forms of crispum, although they have ever 

 since been recorded under the name ardentis- 

 simum. In other respects these hybrids 

 resembled blotched varieties of Pescatorei ; 

 but the combining of this species with crispum 

 produced an unexpected violet tinge in the 

 flower, which has proved so characteristic of 

 ardentissimum that it has always been the 

 chief means of distinguishing it from a 

 blotched crispum. 



In O. eximium (ardentissimum x crispum) 

 are to be seen some of the best shaped flowers 

 yet produced, and the fact that they are, on 

 the whole, better than crispum proves the 

 beneficial influence in this respect of Pes- 

 catorei, contained in the former parent. 

 Although the individual flowers of Pescatorei 

 are smaller than those of crispum, their chief 

 means of making these round flowered 

 hybrids lies in the base of the D-shaped 

 petals. Reference to the accompanying illus- 

 tration will show how these basal edges 

 almost meet one another just above the 

 column ; in typical forms of crispum this is 

 by no means so apparent, the petals being 

 more O shaped. 



A marked character of Pescatorei is the 

 pandurate or fiddle-shaped labellum, which is 

 more or less inherited in all its progeny. It 

 is a somewhat remarkable fact that in the 

 majority of Pescatorei hybrids the whole of 

 the broad front blade of the labellum is white, 

 or at least much lighter than the other seg- 

 ments. The back of this blade is keeled 

 and furnished with an apiculus, or spur-like 

 organ, which may generally be detected in 

 the hybrids ; the presence of this apiculus 

 assists in proving the inclusion of Pescatorei 

 in hybrids of doubtful origin. 



Another distinguishing point of Pescatorei 



is the prominent crest on the base of the 

 labellum ; the side wings of this crest are 

 more fully de\'eloped than in crispum, and 

 they thus assist very considerably in deter- 

 mining the two species. There is often 

 considerable difficulty in distinguishing certain 

 varieties of Odontioda Bradshawiae (C. 

 Noetzliana x O. crispum) from Odontioda 

 Vuylstekea? (C. Noetzliana x O. Pescatorei), 

 but an examination of the crest on the 

 labellum will generally give sufficient evidence 

 to bring about a decision. 



Renanthera COCCINEA. — One of the 

 most interesting plants included in the sale 

 of Sir Trevor Lawrence's collection is Renan- 

 thera coccinea, eight leaves, described as 

 "part of the original plant imported in 18 16 

 and probably one of the first imported species 

 brought to this country." This recalls how 

 Mr. Bateman first became interested in 

 Orchids through seeing a plant of this species 

 not many years after the above date. In a 

 letter to Messrs. Veitch he thus describes 

 the incident : " When at Oxford I stepped 

 into a nursery situated where Keble College 

 now stands and kept by the veteran Fair- 

 bairn, who had been gardener to Prince 

 Leopold and Sir Joseph Banks. This sealed 

 my fate. Presently Mr. Fairbairn drew my 

 attention to a curious plant with a few 

 leathery leaves and several stout roots feeling 

 their way amongst a number of small pieces 

 of wood to which it was expected they would 

 become permanently attached. ' Here,' he 

 said, ' is a piece of the famous Chinese air- 

 plant, Renanthera coccinea, which flowered 

 under my care when gardener to H.R.H. 

 Prince Leopold, at Busliey Park.' Of course, 

 I fell in love at first sight, and as Mr. Fair- 

 bairn only asked a guinea for his plant it 

 soon changed hands and travelled with me to 

 Knypersley when the Christmas holidays 

 began. I had caught my Orchid, but how to 

 treat it I knew not." This was the beginning 

 of the collection formed by Mr. Bateman, 

 who subsequently assisted Mr. G. Ure Skinner 

 in the introduction of many fine species, 

 including Cattleya Skinneri, of which further 

 particulars are included in this issue. 



