444 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



wont to do. Thus Cypripedium Spicerianum crossed with 

 C. insigne always produces C. x Leeanum, whether from the same 

 seed -pod or from different seed-pods, and can never be mistaken 

 for anything else. Nor does it matter which way the cross is 

 made, whether C. Spicerianum be used as the seed parent 

 (C. Spicerianum $ x C. insigne cf ) or whether C. insigne be used 

 as the seed parent (C. insigne ? xC. Spicerianum $ ) ; no matter 

 when or where they may be crossed (if proper fertilisation takes 

 place), they always produce C. x Leeanum. Hence we see the 

 great importance of having one recognised name, and one only, 

 for all hybrids between the same two species. (See my notes on 

 "Nomenclature of Orchids," Orchid Beview, iv. p. 165.) 

 Naturally, like species, hybrids from the same two species vary 

 considerably in minor details, especially in colour and size, 

 which, though of little importance to the systematic botanist, 

 yet make or mar a plant in the eyes of the Orchid grower ; and 

 it is very necessary from an artistic and commercial point of 

 view that these colour and size variations should, when distinct, 

 bear a special name ; but it is equally necessary that this name 

 should be a varietal one only, and not a specific one, in order 

 that the scientific nomenclature of hybrids be not tampered with. 



These variations in hybrids of the first generation are 

 generally found to correspond with the varieties of the parent 

 species, and to have the same limited range. For instance, the 

 varieties of the hybrid C. x Leeanum are almost innumerable ; 

 but so are the varieties of one of its parents, C. insigne ; and it 

 is generally found that if the particular variety used as a parent 

 be a constant one, it will affect the hybrid offspring in a particular 

 way. For instance, to take two extreme cases, C. Spicerianum? 

 x C. insigne Sanderaec? {a very light form of C. insigne), raised 

 by Mr. Seden for Messrs. Veitch & Sons, of Chelsea, produced 

 C. x Leeanum 1 Prospero,' a very light form of C. x Leeanum. 

 (Orch. Rev. v. p. 65, and R.H.S., January 12, 1897.) Again, 

 C. Spicerianum $ x C. insigne Wallacei c? (a heavily and densely 

 spotted variety of 0. insigne), raised by M. Jules Hye, of Gand 

 Belgium, produced C. x Leeanum Albertianum, a heavily and 

 densely spotted variety of C. x Leeanum. (Cogn., Diet. Icon, des 

 Orch. February 1897, Cyp. hyb. pi. 3a.) If the particular 

 variety used be not a constant one, many variations will be 

 produced even from one seed-pod. 



