296 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
April 4, 1903. 
NOTES ON THE ILLUSTRATIONS IN THIS ISSUE. 
Cypripedium insigne Sanderae. 
When the above variety first made its appearance in 1891 
it created quite a sensation, when a small plant was exhibited 
at the Drill Hall by Baron Schroder. At that time only one 
plant was known, of which Baron Schroder’s specimen gras a. 
portion. The plant must be of vigorous constitution and 
readily responsive to the cultivator’s art, for since then a good 
many beautiful plants have' been exhibited in public, all 
derived from the original. , It was a. happy introduction from 
Northern India, and since its arrival several other closely allied 
varieties have made their appearance in cultivation, but none 
of them, in our .opinion, is equal in choice and chaste beauty to 
C. i. Sanderae. 
Tire photograph from which our illustration was prepared 
was sent amongst, others for our photographic competition by 
Mr. H. J. Chapman, gardener to- Norman Cook son, Esq., Oak- 
wood, Wylam-on-Tyne. The camera introduces an element 
which does not appear to be present when one looks at the 
flower itself. The dorsal sepal is a pale greenish-yellow at the 
base, with a few small brown specks in the centre, and the 
camera makes this area appear to be very much darker than it 
really is. The apical portion is pure white. The petals and 
the lip are of a soft clear yellow, shining, and without any 
'spotting or shading whatever. So lone as Cypripediums are 
.'cultivated the variety is likely to beheld in request, and when 
it becomes much more common than it is we believe it will 
be used for cut-flower purposes. 
Cymbidium hookerianum. 
From one part or other of the Himalayas we have some very 
beautiful and striking... forms of Cymbidium. That under 
notice, although not characterised by anything like what could 
be termed gorgeous colours, yet has a splendour and quiet 
dignity of its own. The flower is of large size', and on that 
account the species has been named C. grandiflorum by Griffith. 
It is closely allied to C. lowianum, C. tracyanum, and C. gi- 
ganteum, but in our opinion most closely so to the first named. 
It might very well be compared to C. lowianum concolor, but 
the colour in this case is really darker. The sepals and petals 
are of a uniform green, unobscured by any brown shading 
whatever. The lip is of a pale straw-yellow hue-, deepening 
towards the margins, and handsomely spotted on the terminal 
lobe with rich crimson markings ; the side lobes have some 
smaller spots of the same colour. The lamellae on the disc 
are velvety and spotted with crimson. The photograph from 
which our illustration was prepared was taken by Mr. George 
I’Anson from a plant belonging to Sir F. Wigan, Bart,, and 
was sent in for our photographic competition, being one of 
those that were highly commended. 
Narcissus triandrus calathinus. 
The accompanying illustration represents a. form of Daffodil 
which is very rare in a wild state, being found only on the 
Isle of Glenans, Brittany. Although allied to the typical N. 
triandrus, it has a much larger flower, is more conspicuous, and 
certainly very handsome when well grown. The whole flower 
is quite a pale sulphur-yellow, so nearly white, in fact, that- it 
might be described as white. The corona is nearly as long as 
the segments, and this is the distinguishing feature, of the' rare 
form under notice. 
'The modern tendency is to produce varieties of the largest 
size, and for market purposes such may be useful enough, but 
in our opinion mere size is not. always synonymous with real 
beauty. The plant has indeed a slender growth, and the flowers 
are light and graceful compared with those of the ordinary 
trumpet Daffodils, but for that reason it is a- choice plant for 
cultivation in pots for us© in the conservatory or otherwise, 
when in bloonn 
When it becomes more' common it would certainly be a 
choice subject for the rock garden in the same way as N. 
cyclamineus, for which it would be a very beautiful companion, 
and the contrast would be both great and pleasing. The name, 
Angels’ Tears, is generally applied to N. triandrus albus, on 
account of the pale colour and graceful beauty of the flowers. 
The form under notice may be regarded as a giant of the last- 
named Daffodil, and superior to it in many ways. The illus¬ 
tration was prepared from a. photograph of a potful of bulbs 
exhibited by Messrs. T. S. Ware, Limited, Hale Farm Nur¬ 
series, Felt-ham, Middlesex. 
Shortia galacifolia. 
Only two. species of Shortia are known to science—namely, 
that undo notice, which comes, from North Carolina, and S. 
uniflora, from Japan. They belong to a. little-known order 
named Diapensiaceae, which we look upon as the representa¬ 
tive's' of an old-world group of plants that in all probability 
originated in the arctic legions, and are now gradually dis¬ 
appearing from the face of tire earth, on account of the changes 
that have taken, place since they'originated, and no doubt be¬ 
cause they are unable practically to. change with the times and 
adapt themselves to- new circumstances. 
The two plants are also allied to Galax aplrylla, which is 
equally rar e as a cultivated plant in this country, but must be 
obtainable in large quantities abroad, seeing that tire leaves are 
utilised in autumn on account, of their bright colour. In this 
characteristic both plants are- agreed, and were Shortia more 
common it is possible that the crimson-coloured leaves might 
be utilised in the same way in autumn, when the low tempera¬ 
ture causes them to assume their beautiful winter tints. 
The drooping, hell-shaped flowers are borne singly on scapes 
rising from amongst the radical leaves, and not much need 
be sa.icl of them except that they are pure white, more espe¬ 
cially if opened under the protection of a. frame. The calyx 
itself assumes more or less of a pink or red hue, thereby offer¬ 
ing a pleasing contrast to the rest of the flower, which is: veiy 
interesting structurally. 
The plants are of very easy cultivation in pots, simply for 
the reason that the cultivator can readily place them under 
suitable conditions during summer, when the sun proves, rather 
trying to them. The compost, that would prove generally 
useful would consist chiefly of peat, with sufficient sand to 
render it. porous. Peat serves to- keep tfee roots, cool, particu¬ 
larly if the, proper sort is obtained ; and in open-air culture we 
should advise- the use of peat, which would considerably obviate 
the necessity of constant watering in dry weather. As another 
aid to cultivation those who plant, it on the rockery should 
select- a position where the foliage will be shaded from the 
mid-day and afternoon sun. These two conditions, then—a 
peaty soil and shade—will enable the lever of hardy plants to 
grow this charming subject, in the open air. It is. perfectly 
hardy, but is, more liable to suffer from the heat of the sun in 
summer than from cold in winter. Our illustration was pre¬ 
pared from a plant shown by Mr. G. Beuthe, Fox Hill Nursery, 
Keston, Kent, at a recent Drill Hall meeting. 
Celsia arcturus 
This plant makes a beautiful subject for decorative purposes, 
especially during the winter months, as it- possesses the rare 
merit of opening its flowers under quite cool conditions, the 
flowers being more substantial and lasting than during summer, 
or under warmer treatment. 
We have plants in 48-size pots, carrying flower-spikes with 
fully 100 blooms and buds in different stages of development, 
about two dozen being open at one, time, which have only just 
had frost excluded from them, the treatment otherwise being 
about the same as for Primulas. B. W. Dean. 
Wainsford, Lymington, Hants. 
