176 



THE ORCHID WORLD. 



[June-July, 1916. 



Grammangis Ellisii. 



GrammangiS Ellisii. — This remarkable 

 species was discovered in Madagascar by the 

 Rev. W. EUis and introduced by him many 

 years ago. In habit it resembles the better 

 known genus Cymbidium, the spikes bearing 

 from 10 — 20 flowers, in colour tawny-yellow, 

 densely spotted with chocolate-red. In its 

 native country it has been found growing on 

 branches of trees overhanging the rivers, from 

 which some idea of its treatment may be 

 ascertained. Considerable heat and moisture 

 appear to suit it when under cultivation. 

 Perhaps in the future we shall find this curious 

 species being used by hybridists to vary the 

 genus Cymbidium, with which it will no doubt 

 combine, the general habit being very similar. 



^ y y 



Red Cross Sale. — The great Red Cross 

 Sale of Plants, Bulbs, Horticultural Books, 

 etc., will take place in the R.H.S. Hall, 

 Wednesday and Thursday, June 28th and 

 2gth. All interested in horticulture are asked 

 to lend their aid unstintingly in order to make 

 this sale a great success. As the catalogue 

 will, in itself, be an interesting and valuable 

 souvenir of an unique occasion, every horti- 

 culturist should secure at least one copy, the 

 price being 2s. 6d., post free. Admission to 

 the sale will be by catalogue only, which 

 will also be on sale at the door. 



CATTLEYA SKINNERI. 



OUR illustration ' shows a magnificent 

 plant of Cattleya Skinnen growing 

 and flowering profusely in the 

 garden of H.R.H. Prince Paribatra, of Siam, 

 Bang-khun-Prom Palace, Bangkok, Siam. 



James Bateman included a coloured plate 

 of this fine old species in his Orchidacece of 

 Mexico and Guatemala, 18 ^y-4S, but as this 

 cumbersome work is inaccessible to the 

 majority of our readers, we reproduce part 

 of the matter relating to the plant in 

 question : — 



" Until within the last few years, the exten- 

 sive province of Guatemala had continued 

 quite a terra incognita to the admirers of 

 Ochidaceae, who were ready, nevertheless, 

 to regard it as a rich storehouse of their 

 favourite plants, in consequence of the known 

 beauty of the tribe in Mexico and Panama, 

 the two extremities of tliat remarkable 

 Isthmus, of which Guatemala is itself the 

 centre. The small number of European, and 

 almost total absence of English, residents had 

 rendered the attainment of any precise 

 information as to its natural history all but 

 impossible ; and to have dispatched a 

 botanical collector on a mission to a country 

 whose Flora possesses only a conjectural 

 interest was too wild a speculation, even foi 

 Orchido-mania to venture on. Things might 

 still have remained in this tantalising state 

 had we not accidentally heard that some 

 insects had been received in Manchester from 

 a gentleman of the name of Skinner, the 

 owner of extensive estates in Guatemala., and 

 the partner in a flourishing mercantile firm 

 in the same country. This piece of intelli- 

 gence immediately brought with it a faint 

 gleam of hope ; for as entomology and botany 

 are kindred sciences, we were at no loss to 

 persuade ourselves that he who had done so 

 much for the one might possibly be tempted 

 to lend a helping hand to the other. We 

 accordingly addressed a letter to Mr. .Skinner, 

 in which we frankly described the circum- 

 stances of the case, and humbly craved his 

 assistance. 



"From the moment he received our letter 

 he laboured almost incessantly to drag from 



