68 



GARDENERS' 



MAGAZINE. 



January 29, 1898, 



L/ELIA BRESEIS. 



New Nerines. 



A most distinct and attractive orchid is the new hybrid Laelia Breseis, 

 raised by Mr. James Douglas, Edenside, Bookham, and exhibited by him 

 at a meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society, held December 14, 1897. 

 The Orchid Committee considered it worthy an award of merit. It is 

 a novel hybrid, obtained by crossing the orange-red Lcxlia harpophylla 

 with the handsome white and purple flowered L. purpurata. The former, 

 or seed parent, has created the most influence, the habit of the plant, 

 shape and colour of the flowers, reminding one mostly of L. harpophylla. 

 The sepals and petals are pale orange, lip whitish, narrow, the side 

 lobes clasping over the column ; apical lobe white with two purple 

 blotches. The edges of the front lobe are considerably crimped and 

 waved. The accompanying illustration gives a fair idea of the size and 



shape of the flowers. 



With respect to Laelia 



Breseis, Mr. J. Douglas writes 



a 



This 



garden hybrid was produced by crossing Lirlia harpophylla with the 



It has been said time after time by those well qualified to speak that 

 there is no more pleasing hobby for a gardener, either professional 0 

 amateur, than the improvement, so far as time and circumstances permit 

 of one plant or class of plants. It might also be added that scarcely 

 anything can more advance horticulture than this. Almost every garden 

 plant of general usefulness has been improved and brought to its present 

 state of perfection by the careful hybridising, cross fertilisation, or selec- 

 tion carried on with great patience and perseverance by one or more 

 individuals or firms. The greatest difficulty is usually to know what to 

 commence upon, but a little careful consideration will soon show that 

 there is abundant room for improvement in very many subjects. 



It is highly probable that when Mr. H. J. Elwes, of Colesbourne 

 Andoversford, Gloucester, commenced his work of improving nerines he 

 had little hope that such a large measure of success would attend his 

 efforts as he has already realised. Although there are several species of 



L.ELI A BRESEIS. (Flowers orange and white.) 



Pollen of L. purpurata, but the pollen parent does not seem to have 

 exerted much influence upon the colour or form of the flowers, or even 

 upon the character of the plant It is, however, evident that the cross 

 has been effected, for both plant and flower differ from the seed parent. 

 If possible, I always make orchid crosses both ways, but one cannot 

 always be suie of obtaining plants in each case; in this instance, the 

 reverse cross, to I* Breseis that is, seed from L. purpurata, failed to 



and 

 The 



nerines in cultivation, scarcely any others than N. sarniensi ^ 

 N. curvifolia Fothergilli are known to the majority of gardeners. ^ 

 colours found in the various members of the genus are scarlet in s ^ 

 shades, crimson, red, pink, rose, and white. In some cases, howev •, ^ 

 flowers are small and flimsy, segments narrow, the umbels are sm< . 

 loose, and the habit of the plant weak. So in the production ot ne ^ 



. - <r -r- , ~ thoroughly useful garden forms, not a few difficulties wouia y 



vegetate. Blooms of Cattleya labiata have been fertilised with the pollen themselves, even after the initial one of obtaining plants of tne ^% ri(1 , 



of L. Breseis, but unfortunateTy the lifetime of one man is not long enough cr»e/-;« anH kt>kr.'J. u^a w~ -.,mm n **.A AKnnt fifteen distinct nyw , 



for carrying to a conclusion many experiments of this kind. The flowers 

 fertilised will probably ripen their seed pods towards the end of the pre- 

 sent year ; the seed may vegetate in from six to twelve months more, 



and, if by a fortunate chance any of them live to flower, such an occur- . „ 1IVi loI3CU uy ^ ctwI ~ r - - 



rence will happen about 1910 or 1912, or may be a few years later than crosses were made by Herbert, and, as showing the patience £*5J 



that, bometimes a period of nineteen years elapses between the time with this genus, he states that " Seedlings of undulata flower when 



ot sowing the seed of a cattleya and the period of flower production" ^ — - - ^- — 1- ^ ««ir vears , 



have been raised and recorded, but little is known of the m ^"L^ 

 them beyond their parentage. Probably the first hybrid ner ! ne , w j t h 

 was N. Mitchamiae, a hybrid between N. undulata pollenise tf 



N. curvifolia, and raised by Dean Herbert at Spofforth 



in 



three years old ; the strongest of the mules blew at four y 



