lear brown
above, with a tinge of maroon, paler below, with spots of the same.
Slipper brownish. The whole polished and shiny to a degree which gives it
the name nitidum.

But there was one astonishing peculiarity in the flower which I saw--the
first produced. Everyone knows that in the genus Cypripedium the two lower
sepals are fused together, making a single limb, small commonly,
insignificant, and nearly hidden by the slipper. But in this case there
was no attempt at fusion. The lower sepals stood out as clearly as in a
Cattleya, one on each side the slipper--whitish, with green lines and
crimson spots at the base. It will be interesting to observe whether this
deformity--which is in truth a return to the more graceful pristine
form--will prove to be permanent.

_Sir Redvers Buller._--A new hybrid of which the parents are understood to
be Lucie x insigne; the former itself a hybrid--Lawrenceanum x ciliolare.
I have not seen the flower, which is thus described in the _Gardeners'
Chronicle_, Jan. 20, 1900: 'The fine dorsal is of a pale-green tint in the
lower half with dark chocolate-purple dotted lines; the upper portion pure
white, with the basal dark lines continued into it, but of a deep
rose-purple. The petals are yellowish, tinged with rose on the outer
halves and blotched with dark purplish chocolate. Lip greenish with the
face tinged reddish-brown.'

[Illustration: CYPRIPEDIUM BOISSIERIANUM VAR. BUNGEROTHI.]

STORY OF CYPRIPEDIUM PLATYTAENIUM

This is the rarest and costliest of all orchids--of all flowers that blow,
indeed, and all green things, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop upon
the housetop. I think it no exaggeration to say that a strong specimen
would be worth its weight in diamonds if a little one--for the most
enthusiastic of millionaires seem to lose courage when biddings go beyond
a certain sum. But it is long since any plants came into the market.

I suppress part of the name, as usual, fearing to daunt casual readers. Be
it understood that this treasure is a variety of Cypripedium Stoneii; the
specific title should be introduced in speaking of it. Doubtless
platytaenium is a very handsome member of the family, impressive in size
and shape, elegantly coloured. But one who regards the flower with eyes
undazzled by fashion may pronounce that its value lies mostly in its
renown.

But one plant has ever been discovered; and that came to Europe
unannounced. Messrs. Low sold a qu