THE ORCHID WORLD. 



BRASSAVOLA DIGBYANA IN CONJUNCTION WITH A 

 L/ELIA AND A CATTLEYA. 



IN the last two issues of this journal the 

 Birasso-Laelias and Brasso-Cattleyas 

 were enumerated. There is still a third 

 class of Brassavola hybrid to consider, viz., 

 Brassavola Digbyana in conjunction with a 

 Laslia and a Cattleya. Every Orchidist is so 

 accustomed to the name Laelio-Cattleya that 

 the addition of a Brassavola to this hybrid 

 suggested the name Brasso-Laslio-Cattleya. 

 This combination of generic names has also 

 been arranged Brassocatlselia, a method which, 

 beside possessing certain other advantages, 

 certainly makes a more pronounceable word. 



Brassavola Digbyana with a L.5:lio- 

 Cattleya. 



The following nine hybrids are com- 

 posed of one-half Brassavola Digbyana 

 and a quarter each of a Laslia and a Cattleya 

 species. They have, therefore, the same 

 proportion of Brassavola Digbyana in their 

 parentage as the Brasso-Laelias and the 

 Brasso-Cattleyas. 



B.-L.-C. Edgar Wigan, obtained by cross- 

 ing B. Digbyana with L.-C. Aphrodite (C. 

 Mendelii x L. purpurata), is noted for being 

 the first instance in which B. Digbyana was 

 used with z hybrid. When exhibited by Sir 

 Frederick Wigan at the Royal Horticultural 

 Society, May, IQOI, it obtained a First-class 

 Certificate. 



B.-L.-C. Mackayi was named in honour cf 

 Mr. Mackay, orchid grower to Mr. Joseph 

 Chamberlain. It flowered in 1903, the 

 parentage being B. Digbyana x L.-C. 

 elegans. 



B.-L.-C. Ardernas was raised by Messrs. 

 Sander and named in honour of Mrs. Ardern, 

 Stockport. The plant afterwards passed 

 into the collection of Samuel Gratrix, Esq., 

 Manchester, and received an Award of 

 Merit from the Manchester Orchid Society, 

 November, 1904. It is the result of crossing 

 B. Digbyana with L -C. callistoglossa, the 



rich colouring of the two parents ii\ this 

 hybrid producing a fine result. 



B.-L.-C. badarucensis (B. Digbyana x 

 L.-C. Schilleriana) was raised by Mons. F. 

 Denis, and is recorded in the Orchid Review, 

 igo6, p. 135. 



B.-L.-C. Lido \wias first flowered by Mons. 

 Ch. Maron in igo6. The parents are B. Dig- 

 byana and L.-C. Henry Greenwood (L.-C. 

 Schilleriana x C. Hardyana), and from the 

 complexity of the parentage great variation 

 may be expected in the seedlings from this 

 pod. 



B.-L.-C. Rowena was raised in the 

 Westonbirt collection by crossing B. Dig- 

 byana with L.-C. Doris. When exhibited at 

 the Royal Horticultural Society, Sept- 

 ember 3rd, 1907, it received a First-class 

 Certificate. 



B.-L.-C. Hippocrates also originated in the 

 Westonbiit collection during the same month 

 of 1907. It i£ the result of crossing B. Dig- 

 byana with L.-C. Hippolyta. 



B.-L.-C. Digbyano-Ernestii was shown by 

 Mons. Maron at the Royal Horticultural 

 Society, September 29th, 1908. The parent- 

 age is B. Digbyana x L.-C. Ernestii, the 

 latter plant being] a hybrid between C. 

 PercivaJiana and L. flava. 



B.-L.-C. Thera, obtained by crossing B. 

 Digbyana with L.-C. G. S. Ball, was raised 

 by Messrs. Charlesworth, and flowered in 

 1909. 



The flowering of the above hybrids proved 

 that Brassavola Digbyana possesses very 

 strong characteristics, which are too much in 

 evidence in the hybrid,, the greenish-white 

 nature of the flower greatly reducing the 

 amount of purple pigment. It was, there- 

 fore, thought that a smaller proportion of 

 Brassavola Digbyana would be more advan- 

 tageous, and although this might possibly 

 reduce the fringed nature; of the labellum, an 

 idea which subsequently proved correct, the 

 loss would be more than balanced by the 

 extra colour obtained, 



