230 
THE ORCHID WORLD. 
several very fine hybrids, but it is in itself 
somewhat capricious as a grower, and its 
hybrids Roupelliana (syn. Dietrichiana), 
Macaenas and Cleopatra want very careful 
growing to avoid collapse. 
The genus Laelia hardly attains the high 
rank of that of Cattleya, but some of them 
have a strong individuality, and many are 
worth growing. They are of much importance 
in hybridisation, and a multitude of crosses 
have been raised between them and Cattleyas. 
Botanically, they are distinct from Cattleyas 
in having eight poUinia instead of four ; but 
another feature characteristic of many of them 
is that the flowers are carried on long stems, 
which enhances their value in many kinds of 
decoration, while several of them are of deeper 
yellow than any of the Cattleyas. Purpurata, 
tenebrosa, xanthinia, Jongheana, pumila, 
Gouldiana flava, Cowani, cinnabarina and 
autumnalis are all well worth growing, but the 
best is unquestionably Laelia anceps. When 
well-grown this is a noble Orchid, bearing as 
many as six flowers on a long scape. There 
are a number of choice named varieties, and 
these can now mostly be purchased at a very 
reasonable price ; but 1 must in fairness say in 
passing that it has never figured very promi- 
nently as a parent, but this may be because the 
finer varieties have never been used, or have 
been used with the wrong things. Tenebrosa, 
purpurata and xanthinia are usually grown in 
the Cattleya house, and the others a little 
cooler, but all those mentioned well adapt 
themselves to the cooler end of the Cattleya 
house. 
Equal to the preceding in importance, if not 
eclipsing them all in popularity, is the genus 
Odontoglossum, and there is no more service- 
able flowering greenhouse plant in cultivation, 
and where choice flowers are required and 
appreciated a houseful of these plants should 
be grown. It is the ideal cool-house Orchid, 
being the most floriferous and the least expen- 
sive to grow, requiring the minimum outlay in 
fuel, as all those I am mentioning are happy in 
a winter temperature of 45° to 55° Fahr. The 
universal favourite is O. crispum, which is 
probably the best known and most extensively 
grown Orchid in our glasshouses, and now 
quite indispensable to the high-class florist ; 
and in any comparisons that we make among 
Odontoglossum hybrids the finer forms of 
crispum must always be our standard of what 
is best among Odontoglossums. If over- 
potted, waterlogged, overcrowded, thrippy, 
or grown in a stagnant, insanitary atmosphere, 
the plants rapidly become sickly and dwindling, 
and the spikes and flowers are sorry objects, 
the renowned variety becoming a poor one. 
Their wants are simple and few, but they are 
exacting and are quick to give indication of 
their resentment of neglect. The other 
species that runs crispum very close, and which 
it resembles in general outline and colour, is 
Pescatorei, but the latter is built after a lighter 
pattern, is thinner in the texture of the flower, 
and branches readily when strong. There is 
also much less variation in the varieties, 
probably because it is of a purer strain than 
crispum, and this is one of the reasons why it 
has not maintained an equal popularity with 
the latter ; but if there are fewer varieties that 
stand away in lonely superiority the general 
average is more constant, and the flowers if 
smaller are built of fuller segments than the 
rank and file of crispums. It has proved a 
great success in hybridisation, its fine shape 
and branching habit being both handed down 
to its hybrids. These two, crispum and 
Pescatorei, should be grown in quantity, but a 
good sprinkling of others should be added. 
The most important species from the breeding 
standpoint are these two and Harryanum, 
triumphans and luteopurpureum, and our best 
Odontoglossum hybrids have been obtained 
from intercrossing these species. Edwardii, 
Rossii rubescens, Uro-Skinneri, cirrhosum, 
maculatum, Kegeljanii, ramosissimum are all 
interesting, widely different, and Odonto- 
glossums of much decorative worth, and all 
have been used in the making of beautiful 
hybrids. I am not stopping to give descrip- 
tions of the various species I am naming — and 
these vary much in themseh'es — but I would 
recommend a handy and concise text-book in 
Sanders Orchid Guide, where they can be 
referred to. 
Another well-known Orchid of immense 
decorative value is Miltonia vexillaria, which 
