l i i U r i
f; ;;
C Y P R I P E D I U M X 1 0 a«./
This is a fine hybrid aiscd by Mr. Norman C. Coolcson, Wylam-on-Tycc. Cypripedluin Larrcnccanum was Iho policn parent, and C. I
The leaf is that of C- Uwrcnccanum. The pcduiido is tall and resembles that of C. Ai^us. « "'so do the flower!, the petals of whi.
in C. Argus, not rectangular with the longitudinal diaraetcr, as in C, LaH-reneeanum. The dorsal seiial is rather broad an<1 «
C. Lawrenceanum,
anil are much shorlcr than the lip. Pci
C. Lawrenceanum, much forcipatc.
jmerous mcdu-m nerves arc green and only the cxicmal ones purple. The lateral sepals form a small gieen-nervcd
.. r. . i;,.^ jjjgj^ J. ^^^^ . ^^^ Up resonibles that of Argus, an '
Cvi'RirSDIUM X lo, Rchb. f.,
" nov, hybr. angi," is addeil.)
= slightly
tcbody,
onicle, April 17, iS8(3, page 4 (The si ICC iilen tally nmitted, o
THIS pretty mule Orchid was callcd LO in allusion lo its close affinity with Cypripedium Argus. Argus was ordered by
Juno to watch lo, the daughter of King Inachus, so long as she had to endure the penance of being changed into
a cow. Mercury killed Argus at the command of Jupiter, and the hundred eyes of Argus ^vere placed on the original
peacock by Jupiter,
It has recently been asked in various cases how far it might be advisable to give diagnoses of mules. Prof. Dr.
Garcke, of Berlin, whose valuable "Flora von Deutschland " reached the almo.st incredible succes.? of fifteen editions,
finally gave up the system, trusting that he who knows the parents would recognise the child. This excellent author stated
in the preface that the diagnoses of such polymorphous plants as mules of Cirsium, Carduus, Hieracium, might be
variable and incoinplete, and ought to be so. ("Da die Diagnosen dieser vielgestaltigen Gebilde ohnehin schwankend und
unvollständig sind und sein müssen.")
If we were able to watch a whole stock of plants that are products of cross-fertilisation we should doubtles.s see no
end of variation in the flowers. Mr. Drewitt O. Drewitt, of Riding Mill-on-Tyne, told me the other day at Kciv, there
were scarcely two flowers alike in any cross of Cypripedia. A stock of inulcs can certainly show a far greater diversity
than a stock of seedlings of a species. Those who know the parents will find little difliculty in distinguishing them. I
have almost arrived at the same opinion as my excellent friend, Prof. Garcke, for I long since gave up the .system of publishing
Latin diagnoses of new mule Orchids in the Gardeners' Chronicle. I thought all I could do was to give
what we call in Latin " adumbrationes," shadows, silhouettes, vague descriptions, with comparisons, hoping that the
individuals to come might be appropriately placed under the sphere given. And, remember, one usually gets one or two
flowers of a novelty I We must, therefore, ask our readers not to be surprised if they see individual plants differing from
our plates. It is iiTi|)0Ssible to alter this as Nature's laws are unalterable. For in.itance, I had questions as to Laslia
cuspatha, there being points not answering to the representation and yet named by me euspatha. In one case I had
distinguished the plant as " euspatha Scottiana," the difference being ver}' remarkable and appearing several times. The
fact is, it is not easy to name an individual that shows slight aberrations; it is placed in the position to which it
nearest belongs. The amateur has not the least idea of the great number of connecting links observed by the author.
I was in a similar position t\venty or thirty years ago. I ex|>erienced great pleasure when La:lia Stelzneriana,
Casperiana, Schilleriana, and all those things appeared; how simple it was to distinguish them when we had so few
specimens in Europe. Sect—,post egui / cm sedel aira atra. Then came and still come the connecting links.
Sometimes monstrosities delude our judgment. Thus Mr. J. Day, the excellent and most experienced orchidist,
had one day Cattleya Trianaji Incera in flower, with serrate ])etals. For some years these flowers ai)peared, but finally