2 20 
FLORA AND SYLVA 
habit of the hybrid Tea-rose and the 
single flower of a Lady Penzance Briar. 
Though our collections are overburden- 
ed with varieties , there is yet ample room 
in gardens for Roses of this description, 
which take us away from the formal 
exhibition flowers and give in their place 
a simplicity and grace of form charming 
those to whom Nature and Beauty are 
as one. W. EASLEA. 
Waltham Cross. 
ZYGOPETALUM, WITH A 
PLATE OF Z. DISCOLOR ATRO- 
CCERULEUM.* 
Shown by Messrs. Sander before the 
Royal Horticultural Society in April 
last, the plant from which our artist's 
drawing was made gained an award of 
merit from the Orchid Committee. 
From the introducers we learn that, 
though collected in Brazil some years 
ago, this flne variety had never before 
flowered in this country. The plant 
grows very freely in an intermediate 
house, potted in 
pure 
leaf-soil surfaced 
with fine heads of living sphagnum. In \ 
our review of thegenusby Mr. O'Brien, 
this plant is described under its section- 
al name of Warczewiczella discolor. 
Zygopetalum proper (or E^izygopeta- 
lum) was founded by Hooker on Z. 
Mackaii^ commonly spelt Mackayij in 
1827. As at first understood the genus 
was easily handled, but the subsequent 
addition of groups formerly regarded 
as distinct has resulted in a union of 
forms so dissimilar as to make it a com- 
plicated and confusing study. For ease 
of classification botanists are perhaps 
justified in placing together plants dis- 
similar in the eyes of the gardener, but 
for garden purposes the union under 
one name of groups so unlike as Hunt- 
leya, Bollea, Pescatorea,Promenaea,and 
others of less moment, is undesirable. 
So thrown together, it requires an expert 
to decide where each belongs, whereas 
if grouped under separate names, as sec- 
tions, with each its own peculiarities 
of structure or manner of growth, the 
various members become at once re- 
cognisable. The differing needs of some 
of these sections also require that for 
garden purposes they should be classed 
under their old names, and this I pro- 
pose to do in a rapid review of the genus. 
Zygopetalum. — All true Zygopeta- 
lums have well-defined pseudo-bulbs 
bearing bright green leaves, and, being 
evergreen, are ornamental at all seasons. 
In plants of the Mackayi class the bulbs 
areclustered,whereasinZ'.^>^<3^Ar///(3^r^and 
a few others, they are more or less dis- 
tant on rhizomes. None of them are 
diflicult to manage, indeed those of the 
first-named class are among the most 
easily grown of Orchids. Plants of this 
strong-growing Af^sri/?)^/ section thrive 
in well-drained pots and a compost of 
equal parts of loam-fibre,peat,and spha- 
gnum-moss, with a sprinkling of silver 
sand. Z. maxillare and its forms, fond 
of climbing the trunks of low tree-ferns, 
are often imported holding to the stems. 
When received in this way the fern- 
stems with the plants upon them should 
be fixed firmly in pots and secured with 
sphagnum-moss. If imported loose, 
these kinds and the similarly-growing 
Z, rostratum^ may be placed on rafts 
From a drawing by H. G. Moon at St Albans. 
3 
