NOTES ON SOME CURIOSITIES OF ORCHID BREEDING. 471 



Curious Generic Hybrids. 



(1) Sophronitis x Epidendrum. — Epiphronitis x Veitchii is an 

 interesting hybrid out of Sophronitis grandiflora $ byEpidendrum 

 radicans $ . It was first raised and flowered by Mr. Seden for 

 Messrs. Jas. Veitch & Sons in 1890. The parents of this hybrid 

 not only belong to distinct genera, but are markedly different 

 both in size and habit, the father parent growing as many feet 

 high as the mother parent grows in inches ; the former a native 

 of Mexico and Guatemala, and the latter of Southern Brazil. 

 The hybrid is more carious still, the influence of the Epidendrum 

 parent being overwhelming ; the reed-like stems, with air-roots, 

 show no trace of the Sophronitis parent, being exactly like 

 Epidendrum, and in the flower there is hardly a trace of the 

 peculiar structure of Sophronitis ; but, on the other hand, one 

 can see at a glance that some modifying influence has been at 

 work : the flowers are darker in colour, the pedals are broader, 

 the lip is less toothed, broader, and not so deeply cleft, the crest 

 has more yellow colour, two smaller tubercles, and a shorter 

 keel — all of which are consistent with the influence of Sophronitis. 

 But anyone not knowing the parentage of the hybrid would call 

 it a large-flowered and highly coloured form of Epidendrum 

 radicans (col. fig. " Revue Horticole," October 16, 1896, p. 480). 



(2) Cattleya x Epidendrum. — Epi-Cattleya x matutina is a 

 curious hybrid out of Cattleya Bowringiana $ by Epidendrum 

 radicans $ . (Fig. 108.) It was raised and flowered by Mr. Seden 

 for Messrs. Jas. Veitch k Sons, and was shown in March 23, 

 1897. Like Epiphronitis x Veitchii, this hybrid closely 

 resembles Epidendrum radicans both in habit and flowers, there 

 being but few traces of the mother parent Cattleya-Bowringiana. 

 But it is said that the reed- like stems show a slight tendency to 

 thicken at the base ; the colour of the sepals and petals, too, is 

 much lighter than in Epidendrum radicans, being yellow tinged 

 with vermilion ; the lip is broader, ovate, and notched instead 

 of three-lobed. and toothed ; otherwise the hybrid would easily 

 pass for a large -flowered and light-coloured form of Epidendrum 

 radicans. 



(3) Lcelia x Epidendrum. — Epi-Laelia x radico-purpurata is 

 a beautiful hybrid of the same class out of La?lia purpurata $ 

 by Epidendrum radicans $ , and like the other two was raised by 

 Mr. Seden for Messrs. Jas. Veitch & Sons, and was shown 



