March 5. 1898 



GA RDENERS* MA GAZINE. 



r 45 



HYBR 



OF CYPR 



IVI 



at the present time this section of the cypripediums is the most 

 felhionablc of any of the Lady Slipper orchids. Since writing my notes- 



Sfhlished in the Gardeners' Magazine, vol. xxxix., p. 794- there have 



wn several remarkable additions to the group, and one of the most 

 Interesting to botanists has been the raising of Cypripedium Godefroy^ 

 hv artificial hybridisation. A seedling flowered in the collection of 

 r W Law-Schofield, Esq., New Hall-Hey, Rawtenstall, which had 

 originated in Sir C. Strickland's collection ; the parents were C. bellatulum 

 andC niveum. The seedling proved identical with C. Godefroya , and 

 this was a most gratifying result. Some five years ago one of the most 

 prominent of our orchid authorities paid a visit to the collection of which 

 I have charge, and I drew his attention to the possibility of the form 

 known as C. Godefroyie leucochilum being a natural hybrid. The inter- 

 mediate characteristics, both in growth and flowers, clearly indicating the 

 possibility of a natural hybrid between the two species named above. 

 Then another form imported with the white-lipped variety gave every 

 indication that C. concolor was instrumental in its production. The 

 growth, however, is broader and more clearly tesselated, while the lower 

 sides of the leaf are considerably less purple than in hybrids where there 

 are indications of C. niveum. The flowers, instead of having a white 

 ground, are in some cases a rich golden-yellow, in others considerably 

 paler, but having decidedly C. concolor characteristics. The specialist 

 protested, and pointed out the apparent impossibility of such a result, 

 owing to geographical distribution, notwithstanding the fact — as I 

 pointed out at the time — that we had flowered from the same case of 



and desirable form, which will, no doubt, improve as the plants gain 

 strength. Another fine form that flowered with the same firm is C. 

 Measures^ Veitch's var., and it is one of the very best of the C. bella- 

 tulum and C Veitchi hybrids. It was exhibited last year at one of the 

 Manchester and North of England Orchid Society's meetings, when it 

 was adjudged worthy an award of merit by the committee ; it was exhi- 

 bited from the collection of G. W. Law-Schofield, Esq., by the gardener, 

 Mr. Shill. There is no doubt the finest hybrid cypripedium of last year, 

 and equal, if not superior to, the best of its predecessors, was C. 

 Chapmani magnificum, which gained a F.C.C. at the Temple Show of 

 1897. The dorsal sepal is upwards of two and a half inches in breadth, 

 over two inches long, creamy white, heavily suffused with rose-purple 

 and thickly spotted in lines with deeper purple, these spots increasing in 

 density toward the base ; there are some traces of yellow in the centre 

 near the apex. The petals are upwards of two and a- half inches in 

 length and one and a half inches broad, creamy-white, heavily suffused 

 with bright rose, and thickly covered with large, deep purple spots. The 

 lip is rich purple shading to greenish-white at the base. This variety 

 was raised in the collection of R. L Measures, Esq., at Ladymead, East 

 Harting, Sussex, by Mr. Wotton, and is the result of crossing C. bella- 

 tulum with the pollen of C. Curtisi, and is, therefore, the reverse cross of 

 the original C. Chapmani. 



The subject of the accompanying illustration, iC. Beeckmani, is a con- 

 tinental hybrid said to be the result of a cross between C. Boxalli superbum 

 and C. bellatulum. If this parentage is correct the plant is certainly a 

 remarkable freak, for there is not the slightest indication of tesselation in 

 the foliage as seen in all other C. bellatulum hybrids, and the foliage also, 



CYPRIPEDIUM BEECKMANI. (Flowers green, white and bright purple brown.) 



Id aW' ' °- bel j atLlIum , C. concolor, and the two forms referred 



;i statement n?J aS ' n °u d< ?" b *' considerably impressed, and, judging from 

 froS from * the Dnl1 Hal1 in respect t0 the lowering of C. Gode- 



RSQtrraDhiSl Hi!? •K I \-° Ur ,°\ vn S ardens > he is now satisfied that the 

 There can hi «^ u ° • °t thlS Sect, ° n waS not so wide as w *s imagined. 

 another^dSS- ^ '* futUre that C Godefr oy* must be classed as 

 C Godefrov 0I ! th ! S -Rowing family of natural hybrids. The variety 

 Kemslev and ri C K° Chllum WaS introduced though Messrs. W alter 

 cured bv 3 'fjL S,x years a S°> the first importation being pro 



NleasurL FrZ^^r 6 " the tWO br ° thers Me * srs - R - and R. H. 

 have been LvT-i f co,lectl on of the former several remarkable forms 

 How- 1 exhlD1 ted, one " " " 

 Horticultural Society. 



species 



~ - -viwoi lcllld.IK.dUIC 1 U I 1115 



of which gained the F.C.C. of the Royal 



On f * v ' , - < 7 • 



^Toductc\^L^ OS ^ rom[ntnt of the C bell *tulum hybrids that have been 

 the result S ^ g • past ei & h teen months is C. Rolfeanum, said to be 

 indication of tK° S . mg C ' belIatulu m and C. Rothschildianum, but no 

 exhibited at thl n •« 5 r . Darent was observable when the plant was 

 records • thl 7 f - HaI1 ' and there 1S ' no doubt » some mistake in the 

 that C Lean g general characteristics of the flower indicating 



h is, however' ° r S ° m f ° ther variet > in that wa y» had b een a parent, 

 cultivation r % distinct and desirable hybrid, and is worthy of 



atlOn C V 'A I V " "*"" — — "j >« iu, ouu ia wunuy ui 



ln the nurseripc f'f/ 1, bellatulum crossed C. Spicerianum) was raised 

 d istinctlv nJ.;, , J ? essrs ' J- Veitch and Sons ; the flowers are most 



of the bean if„! ?' the >' are considerably smaller than 



beautiful hybrids of this section. " 



in many 



It is, nevertheless, a distinct 



tainly longer and much more robust than in C villosum Boxalli. The 

 flower also has not the slightest trace of C. bellatulum, although it was 

 the opinion of some who saw it that the spottings on the lower sepal and 

 the purple at the back of the upper sepal were derived from that species. 

 These spottings were, no doubt, derived from C. Boxalli, as they are pro- 

 minent characteristics of all the very best forms of that species. When 

 exhibited by Messrs. Linden and Co., of Brussels, at the R.H.S. meeting 

 on November 22 last it was adjudged worthy of an award of merit by 

 the Orchid Committee, who considered the recorded parentage so 

 doubtful that they were unable to accept it. C. Beeckmani is, neverthe- 

 less a remarkably fine cypripedium, and worthy" of being included amongst 

 the very best. The dorsal sepal is green thickly spotted with brown at 

 the base, and having a broad margin of white at the apex. The broad, 

 finely-shaped petals, green in the lower halves, and suffused with brown, 

 have the upper halves pale green spotted with dark brown at the base, 

 and becoming wholly suffused with dark brown at the apex. The lip is 

 highly polished brown shading to greenish white. The gigantic propor- 

 tions and fine substance of the flower should be sufficient to recommend 

 this to all lovers of cypripediums. It is after the style of C. Lucianum, 

 which was also exhibited as a C. bellatulum cross, but it is altogether 

 superior to that hybrid. It evidently belongs to the class requiring the 

 cool-intermediate house treatment, such as I find suits C. villosum and 

 C. Boxalli crosses better than that afforded by warmer houses. 



Cambridge Lodge Gardens. 



J 



c 2 



