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April  5,  1900.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER.  281 
Two  New  Dendrobiums. 
For  several  weeks  the  meetings  of  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society 
«t  the  Drill  Hall  have  brought  forth  collections  of  Dendrobiums,  some 
of  which  have  been  especially  interesting  for  their  rarity,  and  others 
for  excellence  of  culture.  On  Tuesday,  March  27th,  the  plants  were 
much  less  numerous,  quality  taking  the  place  of  quantity.  Mr.  W.  H. 
White,  Orchid  grower  to  Sir  Trevor  Lawrence,  Bart.,  Burford  Lodge, 
Dorking,  exhibited  Dendrobium  Melpomene  (fig.  76).  It  is  the 
result  of  a  cress  between  I),  signatum  and  D.  splendidissimum  grandi- 
florum.  The  prevailing  colour  is  cream,  deepening  to  canary  yellow 
in  the  lip  ;  the  throat  is  deep  crimson.  It  is  an  attractively  beautiful 
flower,  and  was  recommended  for  a  first-class  certiOcate  by  the  Orchid 
Committee.  A  similar  honour  was  given  to  Dendrobium  nobile 
album  (fig.  77),  which  was  shown  by  Mr.  J.  Davis,  gardener  to 
J.  Gurney  Fowler,  Esq.,  Glebelands,  South  Woodford.  This  is  an 
exquisitely  beautiful  pure  white  variet}’’,  the  form  of  which  is  shown 
in  the  illustration. 
Albino  Forms  of  Dendrobium  Wardianum. 
^ Those  who  imagine  they  have  the  true  albino  form  of  D.  Ward¬ 
ianum  should  note  that  in  it  the  lip  as  well  as  the  other  segments  lose 
all  traces  of  the  crimson  purple  tint,  and  though  it  may  not  be  more 
beautiful  than  the  type  it  is  certainly  more  rare.  Those  forms  without 
the  purple  tips  to  the  sepals  and  petals,  but  with  a  normal  lip,  are 
equally  pretty,  but  according  to  my  experience  they  are  apt  to  revert 
to  the  normal  type  in  a  mild  and  rather  washy  form.  At  any  rate  it 
is  well  to  let  the  plant  flower  twice  at  least  before  setting  it  down  as 
a  true  albino. 
Dendrobium  Johnsoniae. 
There  are  few  more  beauti'^ul  Dendrobiums  than  thi.a,  and  every¬ 
one  who  flowers  it  is  charmed  with  the  chaste  and  delicate  blossoms. 
It  has  that  graceful  outline,  too,  that  is  wanting  in  those  otherwise 
fine  kinds,  D.  formosum  and  D.  infundibulum.  “I  wish  I  had  a 
houseful  of  it,”  writes  a  correspondent,  who  grows  Orchids  rather 
largely  in  the  Midlands  ;  and  there  are  many  others  of  a  similar 
.  opinion  who  are  increising  their  stock  of  it.  Like  many  others  in  the 
section  to  which  it  belongs,  it  is  not  everywhere  a  success  ;  but  where 
its  wants  are  properly  catered  for,  few  who  grow  Dendrobiums  at  all 
will  go  far  wrong  with  it. 
The  plant  is  only  of  moderate  habit,  so  it  is  useless  to  expect  it 
ito  thrive  in  large  ireceptacles,  such  as  suit  the  grosser-growing  kinds. 
I' 
Fio.  70. — Dendrobium  Melpomene. 
and  as  much  of  its  growth  is  made  durieg  the  dull  season  it  is  advis- 
able  to  keep  it  well  up  to  the  light.  The  small  pans  for  sus]  ending 
are  txcellent  lor  it.  Sun  heat  and  ample  moisture  are  the  (ouditions 
the  Au.'^tralian  Dendrobes  delight  in,  and  this  fine  Orchid  as  much  as 
.  any.  Tl.e  nomenclatuie  is  a  In  tie  confused  with  regard  to  this  plant, 
D.  Macfarlanei  being  assnonym.  It  is  a  native  of  Torres  Straits,  and 
was  discovered  by  Mr.  Hartman. 
OdontogloBsum  Ruckerianum. 
The  soft  and  delicate  colouring  on  the  segments  of  this  charming 
Orchid  will  appeal  to  all  lovers  of  this  genus.  In  habit  and  all  other 
characteristics  it  is  very  similar  to  0.  crispum,  and,  like  it,  it  delights 
in  a  cool  moist  temperature  all  the  year  round  with  ample  light  during 
our  dull  sunless  winter,  and  close  shading  to  keep  down  the  heat  of 
summer.  Many  forms  distinct  from  the  true  0.  Ruckerianum  are 
labelled  as  such;  indeed,  it  is  not  so  common  as  many  growers 
imagine.  The  sepals  are  prettily  margined  with  rose  purple,  and  the 
lip  has  a  large  blotch  in  front.  There  are  several  excellent  varieties 
of  0.  Ruckerianum,  and  amongst  them  0.  R.  splendens  (fig.  78, 
page  283)  occupies  a  leading  position. 
Odontogloesum  Rossi  rubescens. 
There  is  no  more  useful  Odontoglossum  than  0.  Rossi,  and  this 
variety  in  its  best  form  is  one  of  the  best  of  the  rather  large  number 
included  in  it.  The  true  rubescens,  although  only  a  colour  variety, 
has  broader  outer  segments  and  a  more  massive  lip  than  the  type, 
with  reddish  brown  spots  on  a  rosy  ground.  Like  all  the  other 
77  — Dendrobium  nobile  album. 
rarielies  it  is  very  free  flowering,  and  of  the  easiest  culture  in  a  cool, 
Roist  house,  such  as  suits  Odontoglossums  generally,  it  shoulcl  he 
grown  in  equal  parts  of  peat  and  moss,  and  preferably  suspended  near 
;he  roof. 
Angraecum  citratum. 
Many  of  the  Angrsecums  belonging  to  the  small  flowered  sectmn 
ire  very  beautiful  plants,  and  I  question  if  there  is  a  better  than  this 
it  all  its  good  points  are  taken  into  consideration.  Ihe  flowers  are 
produced  on  pendulous  racemes,  and  though  the  specific  name  J® 
Its  colour  this  is  usually  absent  in  cultivat^  pxants,  most  of  thei 
b.ing  pure  white,  though  it  is  said  to  be  citron  yellow  m  a  state  of 
^^^Sugh  this  plant  was  discovered  by  that  intrepid  Frenchman 
Albert  dh  Petit  Thoiiars  more  than  a  century  ago,  it  was  not  intro- 
to  thLountry  until  many  y-rs  after  the  first  recorded  ms  ance 
of  its  flowering  being  hall  a  century  later  at  least.  It  s  ^ 
Madagascar,  and  should  be  grown  m  a  strong  moi,t  heat  bei 
nreferablv  hung  up  not  far  Irora  the  roof  glass.  T1  e  small  wood 
basket  are  best  for  it,  and  failing  these  small  pans 
of  moisture  are  necessary,  but  the  coin  post  should  ^  f 
it  passes  easily  and  rapidly  away,  ^'g'^ts^y  rmgmgs  in  bright  weathe^^^^^ 
are  helpful,  but  must  not  be  overdone.  Kee,)  he  roots  on  the  dry  side 
a  little  during  winter  and  until  the  flower  i pikes  appear. -H.  R.  R. 
Oncidium  Phalaenopsis. 
I  READ  with  much  interest  the  Orchid  notes  in  the  Journal  of 
Horticulture,  and  as  I  cannot  remember  having  seen  during  the  past 
year  or  two  any  reference  to  this  plant,  lam  sending  a  snort  I'ote. 
I  consider  it  extremely  useful  as  well  as  beautilul.  Oucidiura  1  halm- 
nopsis  is  not  a  plant  of  robust  growth,  but  it  succeeds  adrnir- 
ablyin  a  cool  house,  which,  in  my  opinion, 
recommendations,  as  it  can  be  accommodated  with  the  Odontoglossum., 
and  any  really  good  addition  to  the  cool  Orchid  house  is  alwajs 
welcome  The  individual  flowers  are  net  very  large,  but  as  several 
ITZne  on  a  spike  this  should  be  no  disadvantage.  'Ihe  ground 
lolour  pa.e  white,  and  the  ..hole  of  the  jj'  Je  fo™  of 
dots  snots  and  bars,  are  of  a  peculiarly  bright  blmsh-purple  or  vioiet 
tint.’  H  is  an  Orchid  that  dt  serves  extended  attention  Irom  those  who 
admire  chastely  beautiful  flowers.— S. 
