XXX PEOCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE. 



January 9, 1912. 



Mr. E. A. Bowles, M.A., F.L.S., F.E.S., in the Chair, and eleven 



members present. 



Dracaena Goldieana. — Mr. J. T. Bennett-Poe, V.M.H., showed an 

 inflorescence of this tropical African species, the flowers of which 

 open at night, are whitish, jessamine-scented, and produced in a 

 dense head. It is figured in Bot. Mag., t. 6,630. 



Malformed Cypripedimn. — Mr. Gurney Wilson, F.L.S., showed 

 flowers of a Cypripedium seedling without a labellum, from Messrs. 

 James Veitch, which each year produced similar ones. The labellum 

 was represented by a minute spike only. 



Navel Orange. — Mr. H. Somers Elvers sent a large " St. Michael " 

 Orange, produced on a plant which three years before had been cut 

 down. It had the "navel" form seen usually in some varieties of 

 Orange, but very unusual in this type. Apparently the extra vigour 

 of the growth had induced its formation. 



Odontoma x Firminii. — Mr. James O'Brien, V.M.H., drew atten- 

 tion to a bigeneric hybrid shown by Messrs. Firmin Lanbeau under 

 this name. Its parentage was alleged to be Odontoglossum 

 crispum x Miltonia vexillaria, but some doubt was felt as to whether 

 one parent may not have been Miltonia Phalaenopsis, on account of 

 the colouring and form of the flower. The Committee expressed a 

 desire to see further seedlings of the cross and for further information 

 regarding it.* 



Scelochilus variegatus. — Sir Jeremiah Colman, Bart., showed this 

 uncommon species, and on the motion of Mr. Bennett-Poe, Y.M.H., 

 seconded by Mr. Holmes, F.L.S., a Botanical Certificate was unani- 

 mously awarded. 



* Monsieur Lambeau subsequently wrote as follows : 



La variete dont je me suis servi avait tous ses segments blanc legerement 

 rose avec quelques stries roses a la base du labelle; I'odontoglossum crispum 

 qui a fourni le pollen etait de la variete virginalis. 



La graine a ete semee en Fevrier 1907, et les jeunes plantes se montrerent 

 d'abord tres chetives; elles prirent plus de vigueur vers la fin de la seconde 

 annee. 



Je possede une douzaine de plantes, dont quelques-unes assez fortes, mais 

 qui n'ont pas fleuri. Lorsque j'aurai une plante en fleurs, je ne manquerai pas 

 de la presenter a Londres. 



J'ai fait d'autres fecondations entre le Miltonia vexillaria et des odonto- 

 glossum; j'ai notamment des plantes provenant du Miltonia vexillaria feconde 

 par un crispum plus vigoureux, avec un Odont. Pescatorei, enfin avec des 

 odontoglossum macules, notamment des hybrides d'Harryanum, mais ces plantes 

 sont toutes plus jeunes et les plus vieilles ne fleuriront que dans un an ou deux. 



J'ai aussi des hybrides entre miltonia et odontioda. 



Je considere ces fecondations comme tres difficiles et les quelques resultats 

 obtenus proviennent de tres nombreux essais; je n'ai jamais reussi avec un 

 odontoglossum comme porte-graine. 



