54 



JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Some hybrid Orchids, raised by Mr. Veitch, between species 

 of Epidciulron, with subsequent considerable variations in the 

 results, called for observations ; as well as one between Dcndro- 

 bium Ward ianum and D. japonicum, a much smaller flowered 

 species without any yellow in the Hp. That in the labellum of 

 D. Wardianum was completely obliterated, a purple spot being 

 only retained. 



A hybrid sent by Sir T. Lawrence, called Azalcodcndron, 

 suggested some remarks upon what a species really was. For- 

 merly it was thought to be a fixed entity, and that nature did 

 not permit a hybrid to be fertile. This, however, has long since 

 been disproved. Species were recognised by systematic botanists 

 solely by the forms of the flowers, foliage, &c. But when two 

 plants, regarded as belonging to different genera, e.g. Azalea 

 and Bhododendron, were found capable of being crossed, then 

 the offspring was either called a " bigener," or else " form " was 

 ignored, and both parents were said to be of the same genus. 



" Amaryllis,'" Hippcastrum Pardina, exhibited by Mr.Veitch, 

 illustrated a case in which no benefit had followed from crossing, 

 the flower being rather small, inferior-coloured, and the stem 

 weak ; but A. Lcopoldina, obtained simultaneously with the 

 preceding from Peru, had been crossed with well-established and 

 old crosses, and so brought about an excellent strain, this 

 species having imparted a broader and flatter mouth to the 

 perianth. The Professor drew attention to the slight irregularity 

 which occurs in this flower, in that the lower and front petal is 

 the smallest and not streaked with white as the others. More- 

 over the stamens are decimate. He observed that most flowers, 

 in which the stamens formed the support for, and bore the 

 weight of the insects, assumed the above type of character ; in 

 which the lower petal was more or less atrophied, and even some- 

 times completely obliterated, as in the Horsechestnut. 



A group of Cyclamen with fringed petals represented a new 

 " break " in this plant, a result of hypertrophy and a feature 

 occurring in other flowers as well, for it has appeared in 

 Begonias, greatly enhancing the beauty of the flower. 



