164 
THE ORCHID WORLD. 
[April, 1913. 
suitable to the atmosphere of his greenhouse..'" 
Hybrid Orchids is the title of the last chapter 
in this useful little book, which is rendered 
exceedingly attractive by the inclusion of eight 
plates reproduced from actual specimens in 
their natural colours. These are : Miltonia 
vexillaria with 126 flowers; Dendrobium 
Wardianum, bearing 264 flowers ; Cattleya 
Trianas, with 88 blossoms ; Brasso-Cattleya 
Dig-byano-Mossiae, Westonbirt variety ; Cym- 
bidium Lowio-eburneum, a fine specimen ; 
Oncidium Marshallianum ; Odontoglossum 
crispum ; and Cypripedium insigne Sanderas. 
The latter is reproduced in the present issue 
by kind permission of the publishers, Messrs. 
T. C. and E. C Jack. Copies may be 
obtained from the office of the ORCHID 
World, price is. lod., post free; abroad 
IS. I id., post free. 
CYPRIPEDIUM INSIGNE 
SANDER/E. 
(See Coloured Plate.) 
SOME twenty-five years ago, after a 
journey to the United States of 
America, Mr. F. .Sander, accom- 
panied by a party of Orchid lovers, 
including the late Major Mason, was 
walking through the Orchid houses in his 
old establishment in George Street, .St 
Albans, when he observed among a large 
batch of imported plants of the montanum 
variety of Cypripedium insigne that were in 
bud and flower for the first time, one plant, 
then m bud, which had a yellowish-green 
flower stem. He at once exclaimed : " There 
is a white insigne ! " The plant was carefully 
set on one side and watched. As one can well 
understand, the fact of this plant having a 
light green stem, whereas all the insignes 
have a dark chocolate-brown one, was of 
intense interest. When the flower expanded, ii 
was found to be even more distinct and beau- 
tiful than the most sanguine expectations, for 
it was the variety since known as Sanderae. 
At that time there was no yellow form 
known, and, of course, there were scarcely 
any hybrids, and none that could compare in 
any way with this new variety. The plant 
J. was divided, and the piece in bloom was sold 
"by auction at Messrs. Protheroe and Morris' 
sale-rooms. The late Barfln Schroder was the 
buyer, the price being 72 guineas. This plant 
made a prodigious sensation. The second half 
of the plant was sold to Mr. R. H. Measures 
for 100 guineas. 
The following year Mr. Sander received 
from his collector a plant which the natives 
assured him was a yellow insigne. This plant 
was acquired by the late Baron Schroder and 
named insigne Sanderiana. It remained for 
many years in the Baron's collection, and 
hence it was, even after he parted with a 
piece, always rarer than the Sanderae variety. 
The plant purchased by the late Mr. 
Measures grew well, and the owner soon had 
several divisions. Mr. Sander bought back a 
small plant for 250 guineas ; but Mr. Measures 
refused, about the same time, an offer of 1,000 
guineas for his stock of the plant. It is diffi- 
cult to realise nowadays how very excep- 
tional and valuable this variety was in those 
years, and how the annual flowering of the 
plants was keenly looked forward to. 
There is no other Cypripedium of which 
such large numbers hav^ been propagated 
m the course of years, and it would be 
impcssible to estimate with any accuracy the 
number of plants now in existence ; but they 
number many thousands, and are now grown 
for cut-flower work, and in the near future 
will be so on a much larger scale, as the flower 
is so beautiful, and a very much higher price 
can be obtained than for the ordinary kinds. 
Since Sanderae first bloomed, there have 
turned up a few other forms, but none can 
equal it for general excellence. 
Insigne Sanderae, like the ordinary forms 
of this species, will flourish and produce an 
abundance of bloom with ordinary care in 
any greenhouse or conservatory, and when 
grown to perfection and in large specimen 
plants, as we have had the pleasure of seeing 
it in the houses of Lieut-Col. Sir George 
Holford, K.C.V.O., in his wonderful coflection 
at Westonbirt, there are few Orchids which 
can excel it for beauty. Our illustration is 
of one of the many specimens cultivated by 
Mr. H. G. Alexander. 
