102 
THE ORCHID WORLD. 
[February, 1915. 
DENDROBIUM BRYMERIANUM. 
WHEN Dendrobium Brymerianum 
flowered for the first time nearly 
forty years ago m the collection of 
Mr. W. E. Brymer, of Islington House, near 
Dorchester, it created one of those sensations 
which occasionally diffuse themselves through- 
out the Orchidaceous world. A brief and 
interesting story in connection with the 
introduction of this species is told in Messrs. 
Sander and Sons' monumental work " Reich- 
enbachia." 
" This species is a native of Burmah, and 
Orchid collecting m that country some years 
ago was by no means an agreeable occupa- 
tion. The collectors had a warm time of it 
m more ways than one, owing to the rivalry 
of the missionaries established there, and who 
to some extent knew the value of Orchids. 
They did not accord a genial welcome to a 
stranger in search of them ; indeed, they 
forbade him to leave the town of Bhamo, 
and he was, therefore, obliged to hire natives 
to procure plants. It may be readily 
imagined that the collector was not in the 
best humour, having nothing to do all day 
long but flying from one to another of the 
four gates, by which the town of Bhamo was 
entered, m the hope of seeing one of his 
agents with the much-wished-for plants. The 
proceedings were occasionally enlivened when 
one of the said agents was intercepted just 
outside the gates, and had all his plants taken 
away from him. These little incidents often 
led to anything but edifying scenes between 
the collector and the missionaries or their 
agents. However, some Orchids — among 
them Brymerianum — were sent to England, 
probably by the missionaries. No descriptions 
being given the plants were consequently 
sold for a small sum, nobody suspecting for 
a moment that anything remarkable was 
among them. Mr. Brymer was fortunate to 
obtain some of these, and we can understand 
his feelings when he flowered the plant which 
has immortalised his name in Orchid circles." 
This species being a native of Burmah 
requires a moist atmosphere and a fairly 
high temperature to ensure successful growth. 
THE NOMENCLATURE OF 
CYPRIPEDIUMS. 
IN a recent impress of the ORCHID WORLD 
I suggested that all Orchids, the progeny 
of varieties, should receive florist names, 
their pedigree being disregarded except for 
reference. A " Southerner," in a courteous 
letter, replies to the effect that we should 
retain the family name and distinguish the 
offspring by adding a varietal name. 
As far as I can understand he would retain 
and record the pedigree in the name. Does 
he think that this mode will extricate us from 
the tangle ? How much easier would it be to 
give the pedigree name the go-by, and style 
the hybrid such as a rose-grower would his 
new variety of rose, keeping and recording 
for public information or for private use the 
parentage. 
On the page opposite " Southerner's " letter 
appears an apt illustration. Lieut.-Col. Sir 
George Holford shows, and receives an award, 
for a new Cypripedium, which he calls Viking, 
just as a rose-grower might style a new rose 
" Sea Foam " or " Fairy Queen." Accom- 
panying the description of Viking we are 
informed of its pedigree — a useful addition. 
Viking becomes a family name. I have no 
doubt but we shall get in time Viking 
superbum — a little improvement on Viking. 
Someone will discover a superbum differing 
slightly, and will call it Viking superbum 
Jones' variety. Thus every time we allude to 
this hybrid the long name hangs about it. 
There exist Orchids after this style, the 
names of which are often hard to pronounce, 
and sometimes the educated have a scruple of 
pronouncing them at all, for example, Cypri- 
pedmm Actstus revolut^. Why not abolish 
this anomaly. If a distinct seedling comes 
out of the Viking- seed-pod call it a name unto 
itself, such as Siegbert, and add for infor- 
mation only that it belongs to the Viking 
section. 
Regarding the deprecation of Major Hurst 
in alluding to the practice of stating 
parentages in fractions, I may be permitted to 
remark, as one who has had nearly twenty-five 
years' experience in breeding, accompanied 
