JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
February 8, 1883. ] 
117 
and the tropical species, the latter being evergreen, and the 
former producing larger lighter leaves that die each year as 
winter approaches. 
Structurally there is a great similarity in the flowers, though 
they are widely separated from all other Orchids by several 
strongly marked peculiarities. The most remarkable of these are 
in the pollinia and column. It is well known that the column of 
Orchid flowers is regarded as the result of a combination of the 
pistil with three stamens, and in the majority of species two of 
these stamens are suppressed, and the anther of one only appears 
as the pollen masses under the cup at the apex of the column, 
the stigma being confined to a cavity lower down on the column. 
In the Cypripediums, however, There is a singular divergence 
from this character : the apex of the column, instead of producing 
the one anther— i.e., the pollinia, has a large flat angular expan¬ 
sion, two anthers being developed, one on each side of the column 
below the apical plate. This anyone can readily observe by 
carefully dissecting a flower, and the method by which cross¬ 
fertilisation can be effected, if desired, will be at once apparent. 
So strange a structure has reference to cross-fertilisation by 
insects, which in several species is effected in a peculiar and 
interesting manner. 
The species are mostly terrestrial in habit, though a few are 
found occasionally upon trees in their native localities, the deci¬ 
duous section being confined to the northern portion of the Old 
and New World, while the others are found in the Indian Penin¬ 
sula and Archipelago, the warmer regions of North America, and 
even in Peru. Of the tropical Ladies’ Slippers many have beauti¬ 
fully blotched or marbled leaves, the variegation taking the form 
of irregular transverse bars, or dark green spots and blotches on 
a lighter ground ; and, like some of the Phalaenopsids, these plants 
are handsome at all times of the year, whether flowering or not. 
The leaves are produced in a two-ranked (distichous) manner—- 
that is, they are arranged opposite each other after the style of 
the Yandas and similar plants ; they, however, vary considerably 
in length and breadth, the plain green forms having the most 
narrow leaves, and usually the longest. None of them produces a 
pseudo-bulb, though in the case of the hardy species, which lose 
their foliage annually, this is supplied by a tuberous rootstock, 
from which the growth is developed each season ; the latter also 
commonly attain to a greater height than the evergreen forms, 
which do not reach any great dimensions, fresh growths being 
produced from the base, and there is thus more tendency to lateral 
than upward extension. The flowers are generally' produced 
singly (or in pairs) on stems a foot or more in height that arise 
from the centre of the growths or axils of the leaves; and one 
remarkable character of many of the species is the great time the 
flowers continue in good condition upon the plants, often exceed¬ 
ing a month, and in some cases even continuing fresh for six 
weeks. Flowers also last exceedingly well when cut from the 
plants, and are thus very useful for floral decoration, though the 
strangeness of their form unsuits them for arranging with most 
other flowers, and they usually appear best alone. 
Culture. —Cypripediums are not difficult to grow, and one or 
two of them may be ranked amongst the most useful and easily 
cultivated Orchids known. One very important point to observe 
is that as regards the tropical species, with which we are now 
concerned, no distinctly marked season of rest, like that needed 
by many of the pseudo-bulbous Orchids, is requisite. Any 
attempt at regularly withholding water at certain seasons will 
result in failure, as all Orchid growers know perfectly well, 
but an amateur at the first attempt might be induced to give 
incorrect treatment in this respect. Water must be constantly 
supplied at all times ; but in the winter greater care is needed, 
especially with some of the delicate sorts, as, though impatient of 
any approach to drought, they are nearly as much injured by too 
liberal supplies at the dull season, as the plants are then liable to 
suffer from damp, especially' if a suitable temperature cannot be 
maintained. The house devoted to East Indian Orchids suits the 
majority of tropical species, but they will also thrive very well in an 
ordinary stove ; and this is a great advantage, for there are many 
establishments in which a house cannot be set apart for Orchids 
alone. The shady side should be preferably assigned to them, other¬ 
wise they will need careful shading when the sun is powerful. 
As regards soil they are also not very particular, all succeeding 
very well in a compost of peat, sphagnum moss, and sand, the 
stronger-growing sorts being benefited by a moderate proportion 
of light turfy loam. It is strange, however, in what seemingly 
unsuitable soils Orchids, and amongst them Cypripediums, will 
often grow satisfactorily : for instance, I once visited a small 
garden where the stock of plants grown under glass was very 
limited, and the Orchids represented were two species only— 
namely, Odontoglossum Alexandras and Cypripedium insigne. 
These were potted in a mixture of old mortar rubbish, turfy loam> 
and sand, and yet the plants were in most vigorous health and 
flowered as freely as could be desired by the greatest admirer of 
Orchids. I should not, however, advise a trial of this compost, 
though the fact is noteworthy as showing that the importance 
often attached to special soils mixed in exact proportions is not 
altogether invariable. 
The species in cultivation are numerous, and the hybrids that 
have been obtained in recent years greatly increase the number 
of sorts, so that now there is a long list to select from. The fol¬ 
lowing notes are devoted to a brief consideration of these under 
the heads Tropical and Hardy Species. 
TROPICAL CYPRIPEDIUMS. 
These may be conveniently arranged in four groups—those with 
marbled or variegated foliage, those having plain green foliage, 
the Selenipedium section, and the hybrids that have been obtained 
between the preceding. 
Species with Marbled Foliage.— One of the best known 
in this group is C. barbatum, which is a really useful Orchid, and 
ranks high in the favour of amateurs and others. The chief 
beauty of the flower is in the large size and pretty markings of 
the dorsal sepal, which is of rounded or heart-shaped form, white 
at the upper part, streaked and clouded with purple of varying 
degrees of redness at the lower part. The lip is very dark, often 
nearly black, the petals being dark purple with a row of little 
tufts of hair on each margin. It is one of the Indian Archipelago 
species, being found in Java and contiguous localities. Several 
handsome varieties are in cultivation under the names of nigrum, 
superbum, Veitchianum, &c. C. biflorum is an Indian species 
closely related to the above, but by no means so well known. Its 
foliage is more attractively mottled, and it flowers earlier than 
C. barbatum, usually in the present month, but, like that, its 
blooms are very durable, continuing in good condition for a 
month or six weeks. C. concolor is readily distinguished from 
the other species. The petals and dorsal sepal are nearly equal in 
size and form, elliptical, creamy yellow with numerous small 
dark dots, the lip being comparatively small. The foliage is 
beautifully marbled, and alone renders the plant worthy of culti¬ 
vation. A little limestone is needed in the compost employed 
for this plant, and it succeeds well in an ordinary stove. 
C. Dayanum—the foliage of this species is more beautiful than the 
flowers, the latter being green, white, and purple, but it is note¬ 
worthy as commemorating the name of J. Day, Esq., of Tottenham, 
whose magnificent collection was dispersed a year or two ago. 
C. Hookerae—this again has very handsome foliage, indeed it is 
one of the best in that respect, but the brownish-purple flowers 
cannot be compared with many others of the genus as regards 
beauty or brightness. C. Bullenianum (fig. 2G, e ) is a Bornean 
species related to C. Hookerae, but it is even more attractive in its 
foliage, the contrast between the dark spots and the light ground 
colour being very striking. C. purpuratum (fig. 26, a ) is another 
species with dark spotted foliage ; the flowers, too, are rather 
pretty, the dorsal sepals being white, veined longitudinally with 
purple ; the petals are broad purple, and the lip of similar colour. 
It is a native of the Malayan Archipelago, and was introduced by 
Mr. Knight of Chelsea nearly half a century ago. 
That handsome Bornean species, C. Lawrenceanum, which 
Mr. F. W. Burbidge introduced for Messrs. Yeitch & Sons, 
must not be omitted from this group, as it is one of the best of 
those with ornamental foliage. The flowers are of great size, the 
dorsal sepal being very broad and rounded, distinctly veined with 
dark purple, the streaks extending from the base to the margin 
following the contour of the sepal. The petals are tinted with 
purple, and have a few dark wort-like protuberances near each 
margin, along which there is also a row of hairs. The lip is 
brownish with a purple tinge, and the leaves are beautifully 
marbled with light and dark green. It is exceedingly free, and 
was well chosen to commemorate the name of Sir Trevor Lawrence, 
Bart., who is widely famed as one of the chief Orchid lovers of 
the present time. 
Green-leaved Species.— One of these which has come into 
very prominent notice recently is C. Spicerianum (fig. 26, l). It 
is a native of the East Indies, and was introduced a few years 
since by Mr. Spicer, in honour of whom it is named. It passed 
into the possession of Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons of Chelsea, and 
soon became known to the Orchid-growing world. Careful search 
was made for it, and quite recently Messrs. Sander & Co. of 
St. Albans succeeded in obtaining a large quantity of plants, 
which were sold at Mr. Stevens’s Rooms, Covent Garden, and is 
now to be seen in many collections. Before the latter introduc¬ 
tion small specimens had realised sixty guineas, and as much as 
one hundred guineas had been given for larger plants. The large 
white dorsal sepal contrasting with the reddish brown lip and 
