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Why these should not step across, even if their mountain sisters refuse companionship with the Sophronitis, is a puzzle. Elsewhere, however, they abound. Collectors distinctly foresee the time when all the districts they have "worked" up to this will be exhausted. But South America contains a prodigious number of square miles, and a day's march from the track carries one into terra incognita.
Though bi-generic crosses have not been much favoured, as offering little prospect of success, such results have been obtained already that the field of speculation lies open to irresponsible persons like myself. When Cattleya has been allied with Sophronitis, Sophronitis with Epidendrum, Odontoglossum with Zygopetalum, Coelogene with Calanthe, one may credit almost anything.
A clear, strong, golden yellow is the colour that would have been wanting in our cool houses had not the Oncidium supplied it. Shades of lemon and buff are frequent among Odontoglossums, but, in a rough, general way of speaking, they have a white ground. Masdevallias give us scarlet and orange and purple; Lycastes, green and dull yellow; Sophronitis, crimson; Mesospinidium, rose, and so forth.
It cannot be due to temperature simply, for, upon the one hand, we receive Sophronitis, a very cool genus, from Brazil, and several of the coolest Cattleyas; upon the other, Odontoglossum Roezlii, a very hot species, and O. vexillarium, most decidedly warm, flourish up to the boundary.
Harrisoniæ, Brazil, with Catt. citrina, Mexico; Loelia anceps, Mexico, with Epidendrum ciliare, U.S. Colombia. In other genera there are several hybrids of Mexican and South American parentage; as L. anceps × Epid. ciliare, Sophronitis grandiflora × Epid. radicans, Epid. xanthinum × Epid. radicans.
The first bi-generic cross deserves a paragraph to itself if only on that account; but its own merits are more than sufficient. Sophro-Cattleya Batemaniana was raised by Messrs. Veitch from Sophronitis grandiflora × Catt. intermedia. It flowered in August, 1886; petals and sepals rosy scarlet, lip pale lilac bordered with amethyst and tipped with rosy purple.
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