Nov. -Dec, 1916.] 



THE ORCHID WORLD. 



DENDROBIUM SPECIOSUM.? ; 



WE often hear of extinct animals and 

 birds, but very rarely does anyone 

 enqune whether Orchids are 

 becoming more plentiful or are decreasing 

 in their native homes. Of course, the gather- 

 ing of thousands of plants by collectors must 

 have some effect in districts where popular 

 species grow, but apart from this there may 

 be a natural cause as well, and the following 

 note written by that eminent authority, R. D. 

 Fitzgerald, in his important work, " Australian 

 Orchids," suggests that this may happen in 

 the case of Dendrobium speciosum and its 

 close relation, D. HiUii. 



" D. speciosum," states Fitzgerald, " was 

 at one time common on all the sandstone cliffs 

 about Sydney, and on such outlying rocks as 

 were large enough to afford safety from bush 

 fires. None are now to be found except in 

 gardens, and every year the circle is enlarging 

 within which it is disappearing never to 

 return. ' The Rock Lily,' as it is called, will 

 never again be found in the localities from 

 which it has been removed, or multiply in 

 those to which it has been taken. It may 

 produce seed, but the seed never grows, and 

 at length the old plants must die, never to be 

 replaced. I have sown millions of seeds in 

 the most favourable situations without suc- 

 cess, and even in places where it has not been 

 disturbed, though the plants be numerous, 

 very few indeed are young. 



" On the bare or moss-covered rock (at 

 least in the southern portion of its habitat) is 

 the place where the Rock Lily grows, but 

 this IS only because it is the only place on 

 which its seed vegetates, for when the plants 

 are removed and given a liberal supply of rich 

 mould and old manure they improve wonder- 

 fully. In some places, however, where the 

 soil accumulates about them and is composed 

 of leaf mould and ashes blown upon them, 

 they may be found equally fine. 



" The year 1 889 was one in which all the 

 Dendrobiums flowered well, and notes taken 

 in that year will give an idea of the fliowenng 

 and fertility of the genus in the open : — 

 D. speciosum, number of spikes on best plant, 



35; number of flowers on best spike, 158; 

 total of flowers on plant, on average of 1 20 

 flowers to each spike, 4,200. Number of 

 capsules set on plant, 7 ; number of spikes 

 producing capsules, 5 ; largest number of 

 capsules on spike, 3. Seven capsules to 

 4,200 flowers. D. Hillii, number of sj^ikes on 

 best plant, 95 ; number of flowers on best 

 spike, 291 ; total of flowers on plant, at 

 average of 180 flowers to each spike, 9,000. 

 Number of capsules on plant, 9 ; number 

 of spikes producing capsules, (3 ; largest 

 number of capsifles on a spike, 3. Nine 

 capsules to 9,000 flowers." 



Perhaps some of our Australian readers 

 will kindly contribute further information on 

 this interesting subject. 



BULBOPHYLLUM NUDISCAPUM. — This 

 curious species, a native of Africa, has 

 recently been well-flowered by Messrs. 

 Sander and Sons. The erect scape, about 

 18 inches in height, bears a number of 

 greenish-yellow flowers having a hairy, purple 

 lip not unlike that of B. barbigerum. 



^ lis ^ 



BULBOPHYLLUM LEMNISCATUM.— This is 

 the greatest glory of all the discoveries of Mr. 

 Parish. A Bulbophyllum having, at the point 

 where the chief vascular bundle of the sepals 

 end, a long, thin, nearly cylindrical, horny 

 body, half pellucid, with ten wings radiating 

 from the thin filiform axis, like the spokes of 

 a wheel. This organ is deciduous. Whether 

 it has any use in the economy of the plant, or 

 is a beautiful ornament only, we do not know. 

 The plant flowered at Kew, and a figure was 

 given by Dr. Hooker in the Botanical Maga-. 

 zinc for 1872 (tab. 5971). The minute 

 investigation of these organs is e.xceedingly 

 difficult, on account of their thinness and want 

 of entire pellucidity. The only thing like 

 those organs which has been hitherto observed 

 is in Dr. Blume's Javan genus Epicrianthes, 

 where si.x threads are represented in lieu of 

 the petals. — H. G. Reichenbach, Trans. Linn. 

 Soc, Vol. XXX., p. 134. 



