30 



YELLOW CATTLEYAS. 



ONE of the most obscure of Nature's 

 secrets is the means by which various 

 colours are produced in flowers. 

 Recent research, however, has led to the 

 discovery of several facts of far-reaching 

 importance, and there is good reason to 

 believe that at some not far distant date the 

 chemist will be able to give us practical 

 advice on the production of many desired 

 colours. But until the arrival of this 

 important event the experiences of the past 

 must be utilised to their fullest extent, and 

 present methods continued with unabated 

 vigour. 



Owing to the abundant supply of purple- 

 coloured Cattleyas it is not surprising to find 

 that hybridists have devoted considerable 

 time and energy to the production of other 

 colours, and of these yellow is certainly the 

 most attractive. If the prevailing colour of 

 Cattleyas were yellow, then Orchidists would 

 no doubt seek after the production of purple 

 flowers ; but this, as we know full well, is not 

 the case ; the purple colour is everywhere in 

 abundance, while yellow is unquestionably 

 scarce. 



When the desire to produce yellow 

 Cattleyas first occurred the prospects cer- 

 tainly appeared fairly favourable, but as one 

 experiment after another led to failure it soon 

 became evident that the work was one of 

 considerable complexity and full of dis- 

 appointments. One species in preference to 

 all others was selected by practically every 

 hybridist as being certain to yield the desired 

 results. This was Cattleya aurea, which, as 

 we now know only too well, has failed to 

 answer the expectations placed upon it. 



The golden-yellow of aurea never dominates 

 the purple of its allied species. When in 

 connection with Warscewiczii, as a natural 

 hybrid (Hardyana), the yellow is always 

 subordinate. Likewise, in all artificially 

 produced hybrids between aurea and Trianae, 

 Mossiag, Mendelii, Gaskelliana, Luedde- 

 manniana and labiata, respectively, in each 

 of which the prevailing colour is purple. Yet, 

 although m these h\'brids the yellow is not 



[November, 1914. 



visible it has a very marked effect in the 

 beneficial manner in which the purple colour 

 is rendered of a brighter nature. Conse- 

 quently, the presence of the yellow, although 

 hidden from view for the time being, remains 

 undoubted. 



From the above facts one would naturally 

 suppose that the purple pigment is the real 

 aggressor, and if only it could be removed, 

 then, doubtless, the yellow would appear in 

 all its splendour. But with this our promising 

 l)rognostications once again end in further 

 disappointments. 



There are many examples of the afore- 

 mentioned species which are in an albino 

 state, and these, being without the appar- 

 ently aggressive purple pigment, gave 

 considerable hope that by their use the large 

 flowering yellow Cattleya might even yet be 

 obtained. Results, however, have proved 

 that such is not likely to be the case. The 

 following hybrids made with aurea and 

 albino forms of the respective species have 

 recently flowered, and in not a single instance 

 has the yellow colour of aurea been able to 

 manifest itself : — C. Maggie Raphael alba 

 (Trianae alba x aurea), C. Empress Frederick 

 alba (Mossiae Wageneri x aurea), C. Lord 

 Rothschild alba (aurea x Gaskelliana alba) 

 and C. Hardyana alba (Warscewiczii Frau 

 Melanie Beyrodt x aurea). In all these 

 hybrids the sepals and petals are either white 

 or creamy-white ; the labellums coloured as 

 expected. 



We must next consider several hybrids 

 which cannot exactly be classed in the yellow- 

 flowering section, although when used in the 

 making of subsequent generations they have 

 proved of unexpected value in this respect. 

 They are Chamberlainiana (Leopoldii x 

 aurea), Iris (bicolor x aurea), iridescens 

 (bicolor X Eldorado), and Mrs. Mahler (bicolor 

 X Leopoldii). In the making of these the 

 original intention of the hybridist was not so 

 much the production of pure yellow flowers, 

 but rather the bringing forth of other good 

 qualities, such as stiffness of sepals and petals, 

 good shape, and attractive colours. These 

 four hybrids have yielded flowers of a more 

 or less bronzy-yellow, each one having its 



THE ORCHID WORLD. 



