536 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
April 28, 1892, 
The leaves are obliquely oblong, of a rich dark green 
above, and often of a purple hue beneath. The 
flowers are produced in large pendulous cymes, and 
their beauty depends upon the female flowers which 
persist for a long time after the others have dropped. 
The five sepals are not very large, but the ovary 
itself, its three broad wings, and the branches of the 
inflorescence are all of the same bright coral-red hue. 
During the winter months when flowers are com¬ 
paratively scarce, the large bunches of bloom 
produce quite a showy and livening effect. No less 
beautiful is it in spring, for it seems to flower 
continuously all the year round, provided it is kept 
growing. It is flowering at present with Mr. D. 
Cooper, gardener to E. M. Nelson, Esq., Hanger 
Hill House, Ealing. 
RHODODENDRON CHAM/ECI STUS. 
A bed of peaty soil on a sheltered part of the 
rockery would be the most convenient and suitable 
place for this dwarf Alpine shrub. It is very differ¬ 
ent from other species of Rhododendron in cultiva¬ 
tion, and more sesembles a Cistus, as the specific 
name implies. The branching stems seldom if ever 
exceed the height of 6 in., and are closely covered 
with lanceolate, strongly ciliate evergreen leaves. 
The flowers are produced in pairs from the tips of 
the previous year’s shoots, and are deeply divided, 
somewhat bell-shaped, with five segments, of a pale 
purple or almost white except on the basal half, 
which is pinkish both outside and in, and striated 
with a deeper purple at the very base internally. 
The anthers are black. The species has a pretty 
wide distribution in cold countries or at high eleva¬ 
tions both in Europe and Asia, so that the want of 
hardiness cannot be brought against it. 
OMPHALODES VERNA. 
The small, bright blue flowers of this plant strongly 
resemble those of a Forget-me-not, but the botanist 
finds a great difference in the fruit between the two 
subjects independently of the broad ovate leaves. 
With exception of Myosotis dissitiflora and two of 
the Pulmonarias there are few if any other Borage- 
worts to compete with Omphalodes verna at this 
early period of the year. It has been flowering for 
some time past in the gardens at Hanger Hill House, 
Ealing, and the blooms although small are interes¬ 
ting and attractive. 
PASlTH/EA C/ERULEA. 
The habit of this little known Liliaceous plant may 
be compared to that of an Asphodel, as it has fleshy 
fibrous roots, radical leaves, and long, branching 
flower stems. The leaves are' linear, channelled, 
light green, and 12 in. to 18 in. long. The flowers 
are of a rich deep blue, including the oblong seg¬ 
ments, the stamens which completely cover the 
young ovary, and the style. The ovary is green, but, 
as already stated, it is hidden, so that the golden 
yellow anthers only are different in hue from the rest 
of the flower. The scape is branched or panicled in 
the upper portion, bearing a considerable number of 
flowers. The general appearance and the colour of 
the flowers may be compared to those of Dianella 
caerulea, but the habit of the plant is different. As 
the latter does best when planted out in a cool con¬ 
servatory, so we believe that Pasithasa caerulea 
would give most satisfaction when treated in that 
way, as we doubt its being hardy as hardy plants 
are reckoned. No doubt it would prove hardier than 
Dianella because it is perfectly deciduous. 
-- 
ORCHID NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 
The Orchid Growers’ Calendar. 
Root Galls on Cattleyas. —In a previous 
calendar I referred to the root galls on Cattleyas, 
and as this is about the time the flies emerge from 
their hiding place, I would advise that this house be 
fumigated twice weekly should there be any trace of 
the pest. This will also get rid of any thrips and 
aphis that may have escaped the vigilance of the 
man in charge. When dipping the plants most sub¬ 
ject to these pests, we remove the plants that are in 
flower to another house during the operation. We 
generally fumigate lightly late in the evening, and 
again early next morning, choosing a dull day ; 
should the morning be bright the blinds are rolled 
down before the sun gets on the plants, and the at¬ 
mosphere kept on the dry side whilst the fumigation 
is being done. Another troublesome pest is the 
stock-seed scale, which if allowed to gain any hold 
is very difficult to eradicate. As fumigation does 
not touch it other means must be employed to destroy 
it. Sponging is, so far as I know, the only means 
of effectually combating it. It attacks the young 
growths of Cymbidiums, Cyripediums, and some¬ 
times Vandas, from which it is very difficult to dis¬ 
lodge, as any insecticide strong enough to kill it 
would injure if not kill the plant. We use soft soapy 
water when syringing. 
The past week has been a trying one for Orchid 
growers and gardeners generally. The utmost care 
in giving air has had to be exercised, whilst the fires 
have been kept going during the night as if we were 
in the depth of winter so bitterly cold has the wind 
been, and the snow that fell this morning, April 16th, 
covers the fields in this district to a depth of 12 
inches. 
Cool House. —Odontoglossum Hallii coming into 
flower will receive much benefit if watered with 
manure water once a week, this also applies to 
Od. triumphans, Od. Crispum, &c.,that are pushing 
spikes. I am a great advocate for giving these 
manure water when they are in a fit state to derive 
benefits from it, as by this I mean when they are in 
robust health, making strong growths and have 
plenty of roots. It would of course be folly to give 
manure to any plant in a sickly condition, with the 
idea that this will restore it to health. Odonto¬ 
glossum cordatum is a pretty Orchid not often met 
with in the best condition. I find it does best when 
grown in a basket, putting but a small quantity of 
material about its roots which are large and fleshy, 
and seem to delight in rambling about the basket at 
will. Some of the roots of our plants hang quite 
six inches below the basket. Should the weather 
continue cold there will be no necessity to.raise the 
temperatures in any department by having recourse 
to fire heat, but should it set in mild a few degrees 
higher at night from those given in my last calendar 
could be maintained with ease.— C. 
Cypripedium Chambsrlainianum. 
The leaves of this fine new species are strap-shaped, 
leathery, channelled along the centre, and of a 
uniform green hue ; on the whole they are similar in 
character to those of C. Rothschildianum or C. 
Sanderianum. The plant shown by Messrs. F. 
Sander & Co., St. Albans, on the 12th inst., had a 
scape about 12 in. high with one flower open and four 
others in bud, or more. The upper sepal is creamy 
white, except at the base, which is brownish-purple, 
with six or eight broad veins of the same hue 
extending upwards upon the pale ground colour. 
The petals are oblong, undulated at the edge, nearly 
horizontal, slightly twisted above the midd'e, ciliate, 
and heavily spotted with blackish-purple on a pale 
yellow ground. The lip is short, inflated, densely 
spotted with deep purple on a paler purple ground, 
with the mouth of the pouch and the claw of a 
creamy - yellow. A First - class Certificate was 
awarded it. 
Cypripedium Lawrebel. 
In this we have a garden hybrid between C. 
Lawrenceanum and C. bellatulum, the name of the 
hybrid being compounded of those of the two 
parents. The leaves are oblong, greenish-yellow, 
variously and irregularly tessellated or marked with 
dark green, resembling those of the first named 
parent which we understand bore the seed. The 
one-flowered scape is only about 6 in. high. The 
upper sepal is roundish or almost oblate, and deep 
purple with darker veins, a white edge, and slightly 
shaded with green at the base. The petals are 
oblong and of a deep purple, spotted with black and 
shaded with green at the base. The lip is somewhat 
compressed at the sides and of a deep purple. The 
staminode or process on the apex of the column, is 
reniform, deep purple, and pubescent. The dwarf 
habit of the plant and the short, broad, upper sepal 
as well as the lateral flattening of the lip remind us 
of C. bellatulum. The plant was shown at the Drill 
Hall on the 12th inst., by Sir Trevor Lawrence, 
Bart., M.P. (grower, Mr.W. White), Burford Lodge, 
Dorking, and received a First-class Certificate. 
Dendrvb’um Euryclea. 
The parentage of this hybrid was D. Wardianum 
crossed with D. lituiflorum. The sepals are oblong- 
linear and rosy purple, while the petals are oblong, 
slightly twisted, and white with a purple tip and a 
slight shading of the same hue near the base. The lip 
is ovate with an involute claw’ covering the column, 
two large purple blotches at the base, separated by a 
paler line, and blush white upwards with a purple tip. 
The above was exhibited by Chas. Ingram, Esq. 
(gardener, Mr. Bond), Elstead House, Godaiming. 
A plant w’as also shown by Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, 
Chelsea, and which was derived from D. lituiflorum 
as the seed parent, crossed with the pollen of D. 
Wardianum. In this case the petals were broader, 
and more purple, while the lip w r as of a purer white in 
the middle. Both plants received an Award of 
Merit. 
Odontoglossum Pescatorei Lindeniae. 
A very beautiful variety of O. Pescatorei under the 
above name w’as exhibited by Messrs. Linden, l’Hor- 
ticulture Internationale, Parc Leopold, Brussels. 
The arching scape bore seventeen full)’ expanded 
flowers and some buds, and was branched towards 
the base. The sepals were lanceolate, white, shaded 
with rose on the back, and furnished with a dark 
purple blotch above the middle. The petals were 
ovate and white, with two to four deep purple 
blotches on the centre, more or less united into one 
irregular piece. The lip w’as broad, suddenly 
narrowed to a point, and having three large purple 
blotches in front of the crest. As a variety it was 
certainly well marked, bold, and handsome, and had 
been sold by Messrs. Linden for /80. An Award of 
Merit was accorded it. 
Laelio-Cattleya Marriottiana. 
This strikingly distinct bigeneric hybrid has fusiform 
pseudo-bulbs reminding us of those of L. Anceps, 
only they are much larger and 6 in. to 8 in. long, 
and terminated by two oblong, channelled, and 
leathery leaves. The scape terminating the pseudo¬ 
bulb is 18 in. to 20 in. long, bearing a raceme of ten 
flowers. The sepals are lanceolate-oblong, and blush 
coloured, but when they first expand they are of a 
clear yellow. The petals are oblong-elliptic, about 
twice as broad as the sepals, and of the same colour 
both in the earlier and later stages, except that as 
they get old they are more decidedly reticulate with 
purple on the nerves. The lip is closely infolded at 
the base forming a very narrow tube over the 
column, while the lamina is narro.v, strongly undu¬ 
lated along the sides, and pale sulphur with rosy 
edges, but both these colours are darker on the first 
expansion of the flower. Laelia flava was the seed 
parent, and the pollen was obtained from Cattleya 
Skinneri. It is certainly a new and distinct break 
amongst this class of plants, but it loses on account 
of the narrowness of all parts of the flower. An 
Award of Merit was accorded it when shown by Sir 
Wm. Marriott, Bart., The Down House, Blandford, 
at the Drill Hall, on the 12th inst. 
Cypripedium Swinburnii. 
The upper sepal of this hybrid is ovate, greenish, 
with brownish-purple veins and a white edge. The 
petals are oblong-spathulate, purple, and heavily 
blotched with blackish-crimson spots on the lower 
half. The lip is green reticulated with an olive 
shade and suffused with brown near the mouth, 
reminding one of what occurs in C. venustum. The 
leaves are oblong, tessellated with deep green on a 
grey ground, and the one-flowered scape is about 
16 in. high. An Award of Merit was accorded it 
when shown by Messrs. Heath & Son, Cheltenham. 
Bulbophyllum (Sarcopodium) Sillemeanum. 
The pseudo-bulbs of this species are ovoid or some¬ 
times bluntly triangular and terminated by a single, 
lanceolate, leathery leaf. The drooping one-flowered 
scape is about 3 in. long, and yellow. The upper 
sepal is short, oblong, and the lateral ones broadly 
oval, obtuse; while the petals are lanceolate, much 
smaller, and of a bright yellow, as are the sepals. 
The lip is seated on the end of the column, move- 
able, heart-shaped, strongly reflexed or revolute in 
the middle, blunt and purple with a yellow blotch 
round the sinus. The column is relatively broad, 
yellow, and finely dotted with purple. The whole 
flower is about half the size of the better known B. 
Dearei, but very distinct in colour. A Botanical 
Certificate was awarded it when shown by Sir 
Trevor Lawrence, Bart., M.P. 
Masdevallia Wendlandii. 
The leaves of this pretty little Masdevallia are 
oblanceolate, or oblong, narrowed to the base, 
leathery, deep green, and about ij in. long. The 
flower scapes are only slightly longer than the leaves, 
and one-flowered, but very abundantly produced, 
which gives the plant a pretty and interesting 
