November, 1913- j 



THE ORCHID WORLD. 



35 



CATTLEYA GROSSII. 



FROM the time when this plant was 

 first introduced it has always been 

 surrounded by much mystery. In 

 1897 it was described by Kranzlin as a 

 supposed natural hybrid between bicolor and 

 guttata, the plant having previously flowered 

 in the Royal Botanic Garden, St. Petersburg. 



On October 15th, 190 1, Mr. Tracy 

 exhibited at the Royal Horticultural Society 

 a spike of a supposed hybrid between bicolor 

 and Leopoldii. On November 26th of the 

 same year Messrs. Hugh Low and Co. showed 

 C. Grossii, a supposed natural hybrid from 

 Brazil, much resembling bicolor, but with a 

 trace of spotting on the petals. 



Messrs. Low received the importation from 

 Rio de Janeiro, and in due course flowered 

 about 60 of the plants, all of which differed 

 greatly from the typical bicolor. In Grossii 

 the lip is much larger, with a very broad 

 front lobe, while there are minor differences 

 in the shape of the sepals and petals, 

 especially in the stronger undulations of the 

 latter segments. The colour is darker, being 

 of a coppery or olive-brown. 



It has more than once been suggested that 

 Grossii may be a natural hybrid between 

 bicolor and Leopoldii, the occasional spotting 

 on the flower certainly giving one the 

 impression that this latter species was one of 

 the parents. But there are certain facts 

 which seem to prohibit this theory. The 

 first being that an importation of many plants 

 was received, all showing the distinct 

 characteristics in the large labellum, yet we 

 do not hear of any plants of the old type of 

 bicolor or of Leopoldii being found in the 

 same consignment, which one would reason- 

 ably expect if Grossh is a natural hybrid 

 between the two. 



Then, again, Leopoldii has very prominent 

 side lobes to the lip, which are never present 

 in Grossii, and it would indeed be a strange 

 and almost impossible event for these to be 

 entirely suppressed m the hybrid. From 

 these facts one can only conclude that Grossii 

 is either a distinct geographical form of 



bicolor, or else a plant worthy of being called 

 a separate species. 



During the last season or so many 

 remarkable hybrids resulting from the use 

 of Grossii have been seen, all of which seem 

 to prove that we must in future regard it 

 as quite distinct from the old bicolor. At 

 the meeting of the Royal Horticultural 

 Society, October 7th, 1913, two superb 

 hybrids came before the Orchid Committee. 

 The first was C. Adula " Glebe variety," 

 exhibited by Mr. Chas. J. Phillips, of 

 Sevenoaks. This was raised from Grossii 

 and Hardyana, the influence of the former 

 parent being remarkable. The immense 

 broad lip and the beautiful glowing colour 

 of the whole flower immediately securing for 

 the plant the high honour of a First-class 

 Certificate. It is undoubtedly the finest 

 variety of Adula ever seen. 



The second hybrid was named C. Iris 

 " Prince Arthur," with rich crimson-bronze 

 flowers having broad lips, exhibited by Mr. 

 E. V. Low. This latter plant differed so 

 much from the usual type of Iris that some 

 members of the Committee considered it a 

 very fine variety of Adula, under which name 

 they would have proposed an award, but for 

 the superior " Glebe variety " which had just 

 received a First-class Certificate. Other 

 members, however, stated that they had 

 seen varieties of Iris with similar coloration 

 and with the lip equally well developed, 

 all of which had been created by the 

 use of Grossii, and they were therefore 

 convinced that the plant before the Com- 

 mittee was a hybrid between aurea and 

 Grossii, and consequently could not be 

 an Adula. We thus have good evidence 

 that bicolor and Grossii make two very 

 distinct hybrids when crossed respectively 

 with aurea. 



It is interesting to note that the hybrid 

 shown as C. Iris " Prince Arthur " has since 

 passed into Mr. Phillips' collecti on, and we 

 feel quite certain that if the plant is regarded 

 as distinct from either Adula or Iris, as 

 indeed it should be, then it is well worthy 

 of receiving an award, for it is undoubtedly 

 an exceptionally fine result. 



