NOTES ON SOME CURIOSITIES OF ORCHID BREEDING. 478 



at R.H.S. on July 27, 1897. This hybrid again shows the predomi- 

 nating influence of the Epidendrum parent, though the Lselia 

 parent is rather more perceptible than in either Epiphronitis x 

 Veitchii or Epi-Cattleya x matutina. The reed-like habit and 

 the adnate column are those of Epidendrum, while traces of 

 the Laslia are to be seen in the slightly recurved leaves, larger 

 flowers, sepals and petals modified in colour to a light flame 

 yellow ; the lip is broadly ovate and nearly entire with a broad 

 band of purple around two lemon yellow eyes, with a three- 

 keeled crest between. Thus in essential structure the hybrid 

 corresponds with Epidendrum radicans, yet from a horticultural 

 point of view it is far superior in every way. 



In all three hybrids, between Sophronitis and Epidendrum, 

 Cattleya and Epidendrum, and Laalia and Epidendrum, we find 

 the Epidendrum parent so largely and overwhelmingly the 

 predominant partner that did we not know we could never have 

 guessed the other parent. 



It will be noticed that the Epidendrum parent is the 

 same species (E. radicans) in each of the three cases, and at 

 first sight it might be thought that this species was, in some 

 way or other, naturally prepotent over other species ; but we 

 know that this is not so, for when E. radicans is crossed with 

 E. xanthinum the offspring E. x Dellense is intermediate in 

 character, slightly inclining to E. xanthinum (Orch. Eev. i. 

 p. 324) ; and E. radicans crossed with E. evectum produces 

 E. x O'Brienianum, the colour of which is intermediate, but 

 the shape resembling E. evectum (Orch. Bev. i. p. 227). It is 

 evident, therefore, that E. radicans is not always predominant 

 when used as a parent. 



The genus Epidendrum contains a large number of species, 

 which fall naturally into at least two distinct groups. 



(1) Eu- epidendrum of Bentham and Hooker, " Genera Plan 

 tarum," hi. p. 529 (1883). (a) Column and lip wholly adnate ; 

 (6) Stems reed-like. 



(2) Other groups of Bentham. (a) Column and lip partly 

 adnate ; (b) stems thickened or swollen into pseudo-bulbs. 



It will be noted that these two groups are very distinct in 

 structure, almost distinct enough to be classed as two genera ; 

 and further it is apparent that both in freedom of column and 

 lip and in swollen stems the second group approaches Laalia, 



M 



