308 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
October  12,  1899. 
L^elio-Cattleya  elegans  Harold  Measures. 
The  completeness  of  the  collection  of  Lselio-Cattleya  elegans  at 
The  Woodlands,  Streatham,  is  recognised  by  every  Orchid  grower — 
more  particularly,  of  course,  those  who  are  specially  interested  in  this 
charming  bigener,  of  which  there  are  many  splendid  representatives. 
A  few  weeks  ago  Mr.  J.  Coles,  gardener  to  R.  H.  Measures,  Esq.,  sent 
us  a  few  blooms  from  which  we  chose  L.-C.  elegans  Harold 
Measures  for  reproduction.  It  is  from  a  cross  betwe  en  L.-C.  elegans 
blenheimensis  and  Cattleya  superba  splendens.  As  may  be  seen 
from  the  woodcut  (fig.  62)  the  flower  has  immense  .substance.  The 
sepals  are  pale  green,  occasionally  spotted  with  crimson,  and  have 
a  light  rose  margin ;  the  reverse  is  clear  rose.  The  petals  are  cream, 
with  bright  rose  venations  and  suffusions.  The  broa  lly  expanding 
lip  is  glowing  magenta  with  paler  margins  ;  the  throat  is  lemon. 
Cypripedium  Fairrieanum  and  its  Hybrids. 
What  connoisseur  would  not  like  to  possess  the  whole  of  the 
members  of  this  beautiful  section  of  Cypripediums  ?  But  whilst  many 
of  us  are  waiting  patiently  for  ihe  reintroduction  of  C.  Fairrieanum, 
we  are  still  able  to  indulge  in  the  beauties  of  some  few  of  its  offspring. 
Several  of  this  section  are  considered  “miffy’’  and  bad  growers,  which 
I  attribute  to  the  plants  being  pilaced  in  too  much  heat  and  light.  I 
find  they  grow  luxuriantly  in  a  cool  intermediate  house  overhung 
with  a  large  tree,  which  tones  down  the  light  even  in  the  brightest 
weather,  and,  of  course,  does  not  interfere  with  it  much  in  the  winter 
months,  it  being  deciduous.  Air  is  admitted  on  all  favourable  occasions, 
and  the  plants  are  grown  in  two  parts  peat  to  one  of  mess  in  rather  smalt 
pots.  The  following  comprise  the  best  known  forms,  and  several  of 
them  are  rather  scarce  even  at  the  present  time. 
C.  Arthurianum  resulted  from  a  cross  between  C.  insigne  and 
C.  Fairrieanum.  it  is  fairly  well  known,  and  is  a  good  grower.  The 
petals  are  pale  green  faintly  spotted  with  purple  in  the  lower  half, 
veined  with  deep  crimson  in  the  upper  hall,  and  turned  downwards 
like  C.  Fairrieanum.  The  dorsal  sepal  is  pale  yellowish  green,  broadly 
margined  with  white  on  the  upper  part,  veined  with  blackish 
crimson.  The  lip  is  veined  and  mottled  with  brown  on  a  pale  greenish 
yellow  ground.  The  flowers  appear  in  the  autumn  months  and  con¬ 
tinue  a  long  time  in  perfection. 
C.  Arthurianum  pulchellum  (fig.  61)  is  much  superior  to  the  pre¬ 
ceding,  having  a  broader  dorsal  sepal,  which  is  covered  with  larger  spots, 
and  is  richer  and  deeper  in  colour.  The  former  was  first  shown  on 
October  10th,  1882,  and  the  latter  November  1st,  1892. 
C.  Baron  Schroder,  a  most  beautiful  hybrid,  is  unfortunately  very 
scarce,  and  is  a  cross  between  C.  aenanthum  superbum  and  C.  Fair¬ 
rieanum.  Not  having  a  description  to  hand,  1  hold  over  to  some 
future  time  ;  it  received  a  f.c.c.  November  24th,  1896. 
0.  Fairrieano-Lawrenceanum,  hybrid  between  the  two  species 
mentioned,  was  obtained  by  T.  Statter,  Esq.  The  general  appearance 
of  the  flower  reminds  one  of  the  first  named  species,  with  some  of  the 
size  of  the  latter,  especially  in  the  dorsal  sepal.  The  colour  of  this 
organ  is  white  in  the  upper  part,  flushed  with  green  at  the  base,  the 
whole  covered  with  thick  crimson  purple  lines.  The  petals  are  green 
striped  with  purple,  the  stripes  being  broken  into  spots  at  the  basal 
half.  Lip  greenish  purple.  It  received  an  A.M.  when  shown  before 
the  R.H.S.  November  28th,  1893. 
C.  H.  Ballantine  resulted  from  a  cross  between  C.  Fairrieanum  and 
that  little  gem  C.  purpuratum,  and  is,  perhaps,  one  of  the  most  chaste 
and  beautiful  flowers  in  the  family,  and  is  best  described  as  inter¬ 
mediate  between  its  parents,  the  petals  having  the  graceful  droop 
of  C.  Fairrieanum.  It  received  a  f.c.c.  from  the  R.II.S.  August 
12th,  1890. 
C.  Juno  was  raised  by  Mr.  A.  J.  Keeling,  when  gardener  to 
D.  0.  Drewitt,  Esq.,  from  C.  callosum  and  C.  Fairrieanum.  It  is  a  dwarf 
grower,  its  leaves  rarely  exceeding  4  inches  in  length.  The  flowers 
resemble  C.  Fairrieanum  in  size,  with  a  rather  flat  dorsal  sepal  of  a 
bright  purple  colour,  nerved  and  slightly  reticulated  with  a  deeper 
purple,  bordered  with  white  and  green  at  the  base.  The  petals,  which 
curve  downwards,  are  light  green  purple  at  the  extremities  and 
margins,  with  several  dark  purple  brown  spots  running  over  the  whole. 
The  pouch  partakes  more  of  C.  callosum,  being  longer  and  more  acute 
thau  its  other  parent ;  it  is  olive  brown  in  colour,  veined  with  purple. 
It  received  a  F.c.c.  February  9th,  1892. 
C.  Niobe  is  the  result  of  crossing  C.  Spicerianum  with  C.  Fairrie¬ 
anum,  and  is  a  plant  that  well  repays  the  hybridiser  for  all  disappoint¬ 
ments.  The  flowers  are  about  3  inches  across,  the  dorsal  sepal  being 
white  flushed  with  flesh  colour,  having  a  broad  central  streak  of  rich 
purplish  brown,  with  a  small  patch  of  green  at  the  base,  and  some 
thin  streaks  of  light  magenta  up  each  side  and  through  it,  but  all 
ending  below  the  margin,  which  leaves  a  border  of  pure  white.  The 
petals,  which  recurve  like  C.  Fairrieanum,  are  pale  apple  green,  with  tv 
broad  central  stripe  of  brown  or  chocolate,  and  a  few  dotted  lines  of 
brown.  The  margins  are  beautifully  undulated.  The  lip  or  pouch  i» 
pale  green,  flushed  with  brownish  magenta,  veined  with  green.  It  is- 
a  handsome  winter-flowering  plant,  and  received  a  F.C.C.  lrom  the 
R.H.S.  December  10th,  1889.  C.  Niobe  superba  is  a  highly  coloured 
variety  of  the  preceding,  and  is  identical  with  C.  Niobe,  Short  Hill’s1 
variety. 
C.  regina  is  a  hybrid  from  C.  Leeanum  and  C.  Fairrieanum,  and 
from  a  drawing  in  front  of  me  must  be  most  attractive,  but  not  having 
seen  it,  so  I  will  pass  it  over.  It  received  an  a.m.  November  12th,, 
1895. 
C.  vexillarium,  although  last  on  this  list,  was  raised  by  the  late1- 
Mr.  J.  Dominy  between  C.  Fairrieanum  and  C.  barbatum.  The 
flowers  are  exactly  intermediate.  It  is  a  plant  of  dwarf  growth  which- 
produces  large  flowers  for  its  size,  and  is  not  often  seen  in  robust 
health,  but  well  repays  any  trouble  that  may  be  bestowed  upon  it. 
The  dorsal  sepal  is  white  suffused  with  light  purple,  marked  with  port 
wine  coloured  veins.  The  petals  are  deflexed,  the  edges  slightly  wavy, 
and  ciliate  purplish  tinged  with  green.  The  lip  is  large,  light  browm 
veined  and  tinged  with  green.  C.  vexillarium  superbum  is  a  stronger 
Fig.  01.— Cypripedium  Arthurianum  pulchellum. 
grower,  and  the  flowers  are  larger  and  brighter  in  colour.  The  original-1 
plant  of  C.  vexillarium  received  an  f.c.c.  from  the  R.H.S.  Jan.  18th,, 
1871. 
The  family  comprises  some  of  the  most  beautiful  of  the  autumn 
and  winter-flowering  Cypripediums. — J.  Barker,  ITessIe. 
POPULARITY  OF  THE  MONTBRETIA. 
If  evidence  were  required  of  the  rapid  advance  in  public  favour  of 
these  flowers,  either  for  the  adornment  of  the  garden  or  in  the  cut 
state,  so  far  as  the  latter  aspect  of  the  case  is  concerned  their  utilisation 
at  Shrewsbury  would  provide  it.  The  rich  orange-scarlet  colour¬ 
ing  of  especially  Montbretia  crocosmm flora,  however,  requires  it  to  be 
employed  judiciously  if  a  light  and  tasteful  effect  is  desired,  and  if  a 
case  in  point  were  required  mention  might  be  made  of  one  or  two 
instances  at  the  Shrewsbury  Show,  such  as  the  decorations  of  the 
dessert  tables,  wherein  there  was  a  somewhat  lavish  display  of  the 
Montbretia  bordering  on  heaviness,  though  in  one  instance  it  was 
relieved  by  spikes  of  the  Bridal  Wreath  (Francos  ramosa),  and  in 
this  respect  the  writer  overheard  more  than  one  fair  visitor  remark- 
