HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 131 
All of which are true species if correctly supplied, and, in the stereotyped 
phrase of fioricultural works, "worthy of a place in every collection." 
Thomas Meehan. 
CYPRIPEDIUM VENUSTUM AND INSIGNE AS GREEN- 
HOUSE PLANTS. 
It may not be generally known, that these two Ladies' Slippers can be 
finely and successfully grown in a common greenhouse. We recently saw 
a very fine example of insigne, with over twenty flowers expanded or in bud, 
and of the most faultless shape and growth. A fine grown plant of venus- 
tum is also recorded to have been exhibited at the meeting of the London Hort. 
Society, Nov. 17th, 1854, one yard in diameter, with thirty-eight flowers of the 
largest size, both of which are instances of what may be done in the 
way of getting them up to the significant standard of specimen plants. Tli,. 
fact of their being adapted for greenhouse culture is a feature of con- 
siderable importance, as there are but few of the exotic orchideae that will 
do this, and owing to the singularity in the construction and great beauty 
of many of the flowers of this large natural family, every lover of plants 
must feel the importance of having a representation of it, if he has only a 
greenhouse. The two under notice are natives of Nepaul, a country ^ying 
amidst the Himalaya mountains, portions of which are said to be 20,000 feet 
above the level of the sea. 
The whole genus belongs more to the temperate than the torrid zone, 
these two being nearly, if not quite, the only natives of the tropics, and 
even these being at so high an altitude, they are thus likely to experience a 
low temperature at times corresponding in some measure to our greenhouses 
during winter. They will flower in the fall and early winter, if kept in the 
stove, but not till February in the greenhouse, but the flowers are much 
more numerous in the latter, and will last at least three months. They are 
called Ladies' Slippers, from the lip of the corolla being formed in the shape 
of a miniature shoe. The foliage of venustum is prettily marked, there- 
fore always beautiful, even when out of flower, and we most certainly advise 
every one who has a greenhouse, to procure these two plants if they are 
not already in their collection. 
