THE FLORAL MAGAZINE 
NEW SERIES.] 
FLORAL EXHIBITIONS. 
The Tuesday Meetings of the Royal Horticultural 
Society are by far the most interesting horticultural 
exhibitions held in London, and that of June 5th, 
albeit not a large one, was of unusual interest from a 
scientific point of view, and the floral contributions 
were in many cases far above the average. Messrs. 
Veitch and Sons, for example, sent, perhaps, the 
finest group of South American Masdevallias ever 
seen at one time, consisting of thirteen species, and to 
this collection a silver medal was deservedly awarded. 
The most showy were M. Harryana, M. Veitchii, M. 
Lindeni, and M. ignea; all, however, were attractive, 
and some of the less showy ones were of very 
singular structure. Mr. Loveland, gardener to J. C. 
Hepburn, Esq., Sidcup, sent a very showy group of 
Orchids, in which the delicate, rosy-flowered Odonto- 
glossum vexillarium was conspicuous. Anguloa 
Clowesi bore nearly twenty of its clear yellow tulip - 
like flowers, and some plants of the bright orange-red 
Epidendrum vitellinum magus were very attractive. 
A silver medal was also awarded to this group. 
Messrs. Barr and Sugden sent cut specimens of the 
lovely Cape Ixias, than which scarcely any other early 
summer-blooming bulbs can be more beautiful. The 
following new plants and florist’s flowers were awarded 
first class certificates: — Cattleya Skinneri alba 
(Yeitch), a very chaste variety of a now well-known 
Orchid from which it differs in bearing flowers of 
satiny whiteness. Odontoglossum Alexandra; roseum 
(Ollerhead), a small flowered form of the type, the 
flowers of which are shapely and delicately suffused 
with bright rosy lilac. Aquilegia hybrida coerulea 
(Douglas). This lovely variety was obtained by 
crossing A. coerulea and A. chrysantha, the flowers 
being very large. The sepals and spurs are of a pale 
lilac blue tint, and the flattish petals are of a delicate 
sulphur tint. A. hybrida Californica is another showy 
plant, the result of crossing A. chrysantha and A. 
californica, and has reddish, creamy-centred flowers. 
In habit of growth and flower both these seedlings are 
intermediate, and a large proportion of the seeds 
obtained from each cross produced plants identical 
with those shown ; this is another proof that 
hybrids from two species are less variable than those 
from garden forms, or such species as have become 
much differentiated by culture. We may point out that 
Mr. Ware, of Tottenham, has raised similar varieties 
[No. 67. 
from seed, but whether by artificial fertilisation or 
not, we cannot say. The following extract from the 
‘ Floral Magazine ’ for December, 1876, will, however, 
now be read with additional interest in connection 
with the above. “ In the summer of 1874 Mr. Ander- 
son-Henry crossed the blue Aquilegia coerulea with the 
yellow A. chrysantha, and the seedlings which bloomed 
in 1876 were intermediate, the outer reflexed segments 
being of a delicate lavender blue, and the inner ones 
pale yellow. In colour the male parent A. chrysantha 
seems to have exerted the most influence. This 
hybrid is a very handsome one, bearing very large, long- 
spurred flowers, and all the seedlings from this union 
appears to be the same in colour and general appear¬ 
ance.” Mr. Charles Turner, of Slough, received first- 
class certificates for four show and decorative Pelar¬ 
goniums, namely, ‘Mr. King,’ ‘ Eloquence/ ‘ Venus/ 
and ‘ Virgin Queen/ Mr. Burley received a certificate 
for a showy zonal variety named ‘Tom Bowling,’ 
which bears large trusses of soft orange-coloured 
flowers. Mr. J. Laing received a similar award for 
the new double-flowered Begonia ‘ G-loire de Nancy/ 
a dwarf and effective kind, bearing rich orange-scarlet 
flowers in abundance even on small plants. It well 
deserves culture as a decorative variety; it is of 
continental origin. 
The Royal Botanic Society’s show on the 15th was 
in every respect satisfactory; the collection of new 
and rare insectivorous plants, shown by Messrs Veitch 
attracted much attention. Anthurium Veitchii, a noble 
plant with long pointed, shining green, deeply veined 
leaves, received a first-class certificate, as did also a 
handsome Croton named C. Bismarckii from the South 
Sea Islands, shown by Mr. Bull. From Sir Trevor 
Lawrence came a grand specimen of the bright purple 
flowered Masdevallia Harryana, bearing over thirty 
very large blossoms; and Mr. Denning, gardener to 
Lord Londesborough, sent a magnificent plant of the 
rare Odontoglossum cirrhosum in full bloom. Fore¬ 
most among decorative plants were the New 
Pelargonium (Dr. Masters) from Mr. Williams, and 
the brilliant scarlet Zonal (Tom Bowling) from Mr. 
Burley. A good rose-coloured form of Odontoglossum 
vexillarium was shown by Mr. Bull, and obtained a 
first-class certificate, and the same exhibitor also 
showed a collection of his new regal show Pelargoniums, 
all of which were awarded first-class certificates. 
JULY, 1877. 
