24 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 
£ Jamiai7 12, 1893. 
and fleshy, and being ribbed or plaited has the appearance of a frill 
or ruff. The flowers are generally produced during the winter 
months, which greatly enhances their value. They supply a 
desirable colour among Orchids, the brown and green of the sepals 
and petals contrasting well with the blue and purple of the 
labellum. The flowers last a long time, and, unlike Phalsenopsis 
and other winter-flowering Orchids, they are not affected to any 
great extent by fog. 
Although epiphytes by nature Zygopetalums succeed best when 
grown in pots. These must be well drained, and the soil should 
consist of rough fibrous peat with a little sphagnum intermixed. 
A few lumps of charcoal may be added, and to these the roots will 
quickly make their way. Zygopetalums are often grown in the 
stove, but this treatment tends to enfeeble the constitution of the 
plants ; with few exceptions they will succeed better in an inter¬ 
mediate temperature. During the period of growth a liberal 
supply of water is essential, and in bright weather slight syringings 
in the morning and evening are beneficial. They require abundance 
of sun and light, but should be shaded during the hottest part of 
the day. When growth is completed the supply of water may be 
gradually diminished, and in winter sufficient to keep the pseudo¬ 
bulbs from shrivelling is all that is required, though they must 
never be allowed to get quite dry. 
Z. BRACHYPETALTJM. —Sepals and petals short (as the name 
indicates), brown, streaked with green ; lip white, veined with 
bluish violet ; crest thickly striped with blue. A native of Brazil, 
introduced to cultivation in 1840, and exhibited before the Royal 
Horticultural Society in 1848. 
Z. Burkei.—A very distinct species, native of Guiana and 
Demerara. Exhibited by Messrs. Veitch, Chelsea, at a meeting of 
the Royal Horticultural Society in 1883. Sepals and petals green, 
thickly barred and spotted with brown ; lip white with a crimson 
frill. 
Z. Clayi. —A garden hybrid between Z. crinitum and Z. maxil- 
lare, raised by Colonel Clay of Birkenhead about 1876. The large 
showy flowers are freely produced at various times of the year, 
according to the period of growth. Sepals and petals purplish 
brown, bordered with green, and with transverse bands of the 
same colour ; lip rich violet-purple with a deeper coloured frill. 
Z. CRINITUM. —A Brazilian species iiitroduced in 1834. It 
closely resembles Z. Mackayi, and is figured in the “Botanical 
Magazine,” t. 3402, as a variety of that species. The flowers are 
large, sepals and petals green, blotched and barred with brown ; 
lip 2 inches across, creamy white with radiating blue or pink 
veins. 
Z. Gautieri. —This is a native of Brazil, and was introduced in 
1868. A very profuse bloomer, flowering as a rule in spring or 
summer. Sepals and petals large, green blotched and barred with 
brown ; lip rich purplish blue with a deep velvety purple ruff. 
This species, of which there are several varieties, does well in a 
basket or raft. 
Z. INTERMEDIUM. —A handsome free-flowering species intro¬ 
duced from Brazil in 1844. Perhaps the most useful and easily 
grown of all the Zygopetalums ; too well known to require a 
detailed description here. 
Z. Lindeni^.— A new and distinct species with narrow lanceo¬ 
late acute sepals and petals of a light rose colour ; the large ovate 
acute lip is white with numerous rose coloured veins. A native of 
Venezuela, introduced by Messrs. Linden and figured in “ Lindenia,” 
pi. 275, 1891. 
Z. Mackayi.— This, the oldest of the genus, was introduced 
from Brazil in 1825, and upon it Sir William Hooker founded the 
genus. It resembles Z. intermedium so closely as to be often con¬ 
founded with it, and the latter may be met with in many 
collections under the name of Z. Mackayi. The flowers of the 
true Mackayi are, however, smaller than those of intermedium, 
and the lip is glabrous, while in intermedium the lip is more or 
less hairy. 
Z. MAXiLLARE. —A handsome species, the flowers of which are 
produced freely during the winter months and last for a long time 
either on the plant or in a cut state. The flowers are smaller than 
in most of the preceding kinds ; the sepals and petals are green 
blotched with chocolate, the lip is nearly round, and is a rich bluish- 
purple. 
Z. ROSTRATUM. —A well-known species with very large flowers, 
which differ considerably in colour from the majority of its 
congeners. It is a dwarf plant with a creeping rhizome, and 
succeeds best upon a raft or piece of Tree Fern stem. It flowers 
usually in late spring or early summer. Stove treatment is neces¬ 
sary for this species. The sepals and petals are white with greenish 
tips ; the lip is white, with a few lines of lilac radiating from a 
crest of the same colour. Introduced from Demerara about 1830. 
Z. Sedeni. —A garden hybrid between Z. maxillare and 
Z. Mackayi, raised in the nursery of Messrs. Veitch & Sons, 
Chelsea. The flowers are large and showy ; sepals and petals 
brown, with a narrow green margin ; lip deep blue, with a rich 
violet frill.—A. B. 
“ The Orchid Review.” 
The first number of this new monthly publication has 
made its appearance, and if succeeding issues are similarly inter¬ 
esting, no doubt “ The Orchid Review ” will enjoy the patronage 
of a large number of Orchid growers. It is a convenient size, 
neatly bound in a slate-coloured cover, and contains thirty-two 
pages of well-printed letterpress. In addition to short paragraphs 
on various Orchids, the current number contains an account of 
“ The Burford Collection,” “ Orchids of 1892,” the first part of 
“ The History of Orchid Hybridisation,” “ A Calendar of Opera¬ 
tions for January,” a report of the Orchids shown at the last 
meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society, and other matters of 
interest to orchidists. Illustrations of Cypripedium X Niobe and 
C. X Edwardi are given, with descriptive notes. 
HARDY FLOWERS. 
Selections Invited. 
Mr. Shanks asks me on page 547 of your last volume to under¬ 
take a work for which I am not qualified. To take the initiative 
in the formation of a society is beyond me. Give me a good 
leader and I will follow him. If any friends interested in the 
subject, however, care to send me their opinions and ideas I will 
endeavour to tabulate them, and give to the readers of the Journal 
of Horticulture the general results arrived at. Some well-known 
florists have already communicated with me. 
Will Mr. Page Roberts, Mr. Burrell, and others give us their 
lists of some of the best herbaceous plants for cutting from the 
last week in June ? 
The first twenty-four should be kinds suitable for exhibition 
purposes, say *— 
(I.) The most useful twelve hinds ; 
(II.) The second best twelve ; 
and so on to forty-eight kinds, to include bulbous plants. 
There are many who I know are anxious to “ buy in ” as soon 
as spring comes round, and will be very grateful for a little help in 
the selection of varieties, too, as well as hinds. —J. A. Williams. 
[We shall be glad to forward any lists that may arrive at this 
office to Mr. Williams, also to publish the tabulations to which our 
correspondent alludes. Some communications on “ Showing Hardy 
Flowers ” must perforce be held over till next week.] 
WINTER BEAUTY IN BEGONIAS. 
There was a little passage of arms between Messrs. Watson 
and Veitch at the Chiswick Conference on Begonias in summer, 
which appeared to afford considerable amusement to the audience. 
The latter was in the chair, and managed to condense so much 
valuable historical information into his introductory remarks that 
the Kew authority said he feared there was very little room for his 
own lecture, smilingly adding that he regretted it, because he 
thought it was rather the better. To this Mr. Veitch promptly 
responded that in that case he was very glad he had spoken first. 
Both interested their listeners unmistakeably ; indeed, the attention 
paid throughout the whole meeting was a sufficient indication of 
the interest that is now taken in the whole genus. The one 
regretable thing was that time prevented Mr. Henry CannelFs 
contribution being taken, for he has so fine a collection of winter 
as well as summer blooming sorts, and presents them in such 
splendid condition, that any remarks from him on the best varieties 
and methods of culture could not have failed to prove valuable. 
To say that the winter beauty which exists in Begonias is 
not sufficiently utilised would be something of a platitude. When 
we come to think about the matter, there are very few plants of 
which it could not be said with truth that they are not grown as 
much as they deserve to be. Of course they are not. There is 
some beauty or quality about almost every one of them, and beauty 
no more ought to be wasted than food. But if natural resources 
are boundless, human conveniences are finite, and we are driven, 
despite ourselves, to apply the law of the survival of the fittest. 
Too often it is not a question of what is to be selected, but of what 
is to be left out. There are the possibles, the probables, and the 
indispensables ; the knotty problem is to classify the various 
claimants, so as to get in as many of the plants which “ no garden, 
whatever its size, should be without,” as can be grown well and 
creditably. The winter-blooming Begonias are in the transition 
stage. They have got beyond the possibles to the probables, and 
now they are struggling for admission into the charmed “ indis¬ 
pensable ” circle. It is not difficult to forecast the issue. Sooner 
or later they will wi» ibe day, and it only remains for those who 
