May, 1913-] 
IHI': ORCHID WORLD. 
183 
CYPRIPEDIUM CAUDATUM. 
THE great singularity of this Central 
American Orchid causes it to be a 
source of considerable interest, and 
anyone seeing the plant in flower for the 
first time cannot be otherwise than mystified. 
The large flowers have the upper sepal 
creamy-white, with greenish veins ; the long 
ribbon-like petals, which frequently attain a 
length of 30 or more inches, are brownish- 
crimson, with yellow markings ; lip bronzy- 
green, with basal part yellow, and beautifully 
marked with reddish-brown. 
Our illustration depicts a symmetrical 
example flowering in the Wyndhurst Gardens, 
Lenox, Mass., U.S.A., where it has been 
successfully cultivated by Mr. Alfred J. 
Loveless, who is also a skilful photographer. 
The plant is in a six inch pot, and carries six 
flowers, two on each of the three spikes. 
Mrs. Lawrence, of Ealing Park, one of the 
most enthusiastic and successful amateurs of 
bygone days, and mother of Sir Trevor 
Lawrence, Bart., was one of the first to 
observe the wonderful nature of the ribbon- 
like petals, and her ardent affection for the 
plant was shown by the careful way in which 
she daily recorded their growth. 
The suggestions put forth to account for 
the length of the petals and to what use they 
can be to the plant have been many and 
varied. Not the least interesting is the one 
that the petals by extending to the ground 
serve the purpose of a ladder by which insects 
are able to ascend in order to collect the 
nectar, and by so doing fertilise the flower. 
In the variety known as Wallisii the flowers 
are much paler in colour, nearly white, with 
the lip slightly rose spotted. In the variety 
Warscewiczii the foliage is shorter and 
darker, the flowers much brighter in colour, 
the petals flushed with rose-purple. Another 
variety named Luxembourg has the upper and 
lower sepals of butter-yellow, veined with 
green, the pouch dull green and petals dull 
purple. 
Cypripedium caudatum Lindenii, formerly 
known as Uropedium Lindenii, has the pouch 
turned into a third ribbon-like petal of equal 
length to the lateral ones. The same 
peculiarity has occurred in the variety Wallisii. 
NEW HYBRIDS. 
Odontoglossum lo. 
Ruckerianum x nobile 
(Crawshayanum) {Veitchianiim) 
A concise description of this remarkable 
example of hybridity and heredity would be 
" Reversion run wild." It is impossible to 
believe such a pair of parents could be blessed 
with such an offspring. There is no doubt as 
to its correctness, for the cross luas the 
only one 1 made with the plants. I think it 
wi// also stand alone. 
Shortly described, it is the worst form of 
Od. baphicanthum (Reich, fils) 1 have seen. 
Sepals have an occasional spot as big as a 
pin's head. Petals are pure and immaculate, 
having the small basal line seen in 
gloriosum. The colour of both sepals and 
petals IS very slightly rose tinted creamy- 
yellowish-white. 
The lip is equally bad, like a narrow 
Coradinei lip slightly panduriite. This feature 
and the coloured underside of the column are 
the OH^y evidence of the gorgeous <? parent. 
The illustration of the seedling crispum in 
Orchid Reviciv, 1905, p. 112, has much better 
form. 
I name it solely for the purpose of record, 
as someone ;//<?;/ raise the cross and bloom a 
good variety from worse parents. Personally, I 
shall not attempt to wrest that honour from 
them. 
de B. Crawshay, April 13th, 1^13. 
CattlevA MendeLISSBIA. — The combina- 
tion of Mendelii and Lueddemanniana has 
produced another spring flowering hybrid m 
the Cattleya section, although it cannot be 
said that either species has been really 
improved by so doing. Still, the hybrid is 
worthy of record. Raised by Messrs. J. and 
A. McBean, Cooksbridge. 
