by the late Senator de Cannart d’Hamale, of Malines, and vvhich was for the 
most part disposed of at a sale at which ail the connoisseurs of Orchids were 
présent. 
Cypripedium Stonei is particularly distinguished by the form and colour of 
the two sepals, broad, oblong, acuminate, white, with two, three, or four 
parallel, rather broad nerves, of a dark reddish-brown, and lightly tinted with 
reddish-purple on the posterior face. The ribbon-like petals, of a remarkable 
length, are yellow, tinted with brown at the extremity, veined with some fine 
brown lines throughout, and spotted also with reddish-brown. The rather large, 
prominent, nearly horizontal lip is quite sac-shaped, of a rosy tint, reticulated 
and shaded with grayish, which is very pleasing to the eye. The large staminode, 
in the form of a fleshy oval dise, is yellowish-white, ornamented on the two sides 
with a pubescence of yellow hairs, which are coloured with brown at their summit. 
The variety platytoenium is considered by some authors as a natural hybrid, 
still a peculiarity observed some years ago on Baron Schroder’s plant seems to 
prove that it is only a variation of C. Stonei. In 1887, this plant produced 
a flower having one petal narrow as in ordinary C. Stonei , and the other twice as 
broad, as in the variety platytoenium. It appears therefore that the two represent 
but one and the same species, because, as was remarked by M r N. E. Brown in 
announcing this anomaly in the Gardener’s Chronicle , the breadth of the petals is 
the only différence which exists between C. Stonei and the variety platytoenium . 
It may be reinembered that in the plebescite of the genus Cypripedium, 
opened last year by the Journal des Orchidées , the majority of the voters, 
comprising the principal amateurs of Orchids of the globe, hâve given the 
preference to C. Stonei , in its beautiful varieties, and particularly the variety 
platytoenium. It is therefore decidedly the premier Cypripedium which we hâve the 
pleasure to submit to day to our readers, and it only remains for us to express 
the desire that this magnifkent species should be diffused in greater numbers in 
cultivation, to enrich the houses of the majority of amateurs of this beautiful 
genus. 
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