250 



THE ORCHID WORLD. 



Odontoglossum Aglaon is the result of 

 crossing eximium with Vuylstekeas, the hand- 

 some symmetrical markings oeing of a rich 

 purple colour. It will receive a place of 

 honour in the new Odontoglossum house 

 which IS soon to be constructed. 



Odontoglossum Her Majesty, one of the 

 latest and best additions to the collection, 

 received a First-class Certificate at the Royal 

 International Horticultural Exhibition when 

 exhibited by Messrs. Charlesworth and Co. 

 The large flowers are deep red purple on a 

 pale rose ground, the lip being particularly 

 well developed and almost entirely covered 

 by a solid blotch of colour. 



Such rich gems as the above will surely 



produce progeny of a most interesting kind, 

 and, almo.st needless to remark, man) of the 

 finest quality. Mr. Phillips keeps complete 

 records, by means of the card index system, 

 of all his special plants, and the various ways 

 m which they have been hybridised, failures 

 and successes being both recorded. IL is by 

 this means, and it alone, that the best results 

 in the near future will be achieved. 



The collection is fast assuming an important 

 place in the history of Orchidoiogy, and we 

 may expect with a considerable amount of 

 certainty that it will reap its due share of 

 awards whenever specimens are exhibited at 

 the great horticultural meetings. 



G. W. 



DWARF-GROWING DENDROBIUMS. 



DENDROBIUM PYGM^UM. The 

 specific name of this Dendrobe sug- 

 gests its dwarf-growing habit. The 

 globular pseudo-bulbs are only about one- 

 half to three-quarters of an inch in height, 

 usually having a dry and hard sheath, and 

 bearing two terminal narrow leaves varying 

 from an inch and a half to three and a half 

 inches in length. The terminal racemes are 

 usually shorter than the leaves, and not more 

 than one inch long. The small flowers have 

 narrow, white sepals and petals, and a pale 

 brown lip veined with a darker tint of the 

 same colour, its front lobe and anther being 

 amethyst. It is found growing at the base 

 of the Sikkim hills, at elevations of about 

 1,000 feet, and flowers during the cold 

 weather. 



D. porphyrochilum also grows on the 

 Sikkim hills, but at an elevation of from 

 5,000 to 7,000 feet. The thin bulbs are only 

 one-half to one inch in height, and carry from 

 one to three narrow leaves obliquely notched 

 at the apex. The solitary nodding racemes 

 bear from six to ten flowers having pale 

 green sepals and petals veined with red, and 

 a dull brownish-purple lip edged with pale 

 green. The column is white with purple 

 spotting. In its native country it flowers 

 during April and May. 



D. aggregatum, with its angled bulbs rarely 

 exceeding two inches m height, grows in 

 quantity along the base of the Sikkim- 

 Plimalaya, where it flowers from March to 

 May. Several flowers are borne on a droop- 

 ing raceme, the lip being very much larger 

 than the sepals and petals. When first open- 

 ing the flowers are primrose-yellow, but after- 

 wards assume an orange tint, the lip having 

 a dark patch near its base. D. Jenkensii, 

 with deep yellow flowers, is a well-known 

 variety of the above. 



D. pumilum, with its crowded pseudo-bulbs 

 not exceedin<^ an inch and a half in height, 

 and its dark green leaves usually less than 

 an inch long, bears small, white or yellow- 

 flushed flowers. It is common in Singapore, 

 Chittagong, Pegu, and Tenasserim. 



D. terminale is a native of the tropical 

 valle)s in Sikkim, where it flowers during 

 September and October. The slender 

 flattened stems are from four to six inches m 

 height, and the fleshy leaves rarely exceed 

 three-quarters of an inch in length and one 

 quarter of an inch m breadth. The small 

 flowers vary 111 colour from white to pale 

 pink. The lip has a thickened yellow line 

 running along the middle of its upper surface 

 from base to apex. It is a curious looking 

 plant rarely seen in cultivation. 



