CSA-Journal-2016-04

the notation, "Sa 1944," which seemed to
indicate that this might be the original label
from the Sander firm.
History
A study of the literature of Cymbidium
parishii indicates that only a few plants ever
reached England, either of the type or of
the 'Sanderae' variety. Cymbidium parishii
Reichb. (Trans. Linn. Soc., Vol. 30, p.
144, 1873 or 1874) was discovered by the
Reverend C. S. Parish in 1859 while he was
stationed in Burma. Becoming interested
in the native orchids, his first collection
consisted of six large cases of orchids from
the Moulmein Hills in southern Burma.
Among the orchids were several plants of
a new type of Cymbidium which Parish
thought to be a variety of eburneum, but
which was later named parishii by Reichenbach
as a new species. The entire consignment
intended for England was lost in
the Ganges River. Parish said he flowered
several of the new Cymbidiums in Burma
in 1867-68, but they did not survive. In
1867 he sent two plants of the Cymbidium
to Messrs. Low of Clapton, England, and
about this time a dried specimen is believed
to have been sent to Sir William Hooker
of Kew, who believed it to be a variety of
eburneum, and as late as 1893, years after
Reichenbach had named it parishii, Hooker
referred to it as eburneum 'Parishii' in his
"Flora of British India" (Vol. 6, p. 12). But
Rolfe later said (Orchid Review, Vol. 12,
1904, p. 164), "by this time it was little
more than a tradition ... it is doubtful if the
original plants now exist."
One of the Low plants was acquired
by Mr. John Day of Tottenham in 1870 and
one by Mr. W. Leech (sometimes spelled
Leach) of Manchester from Messrs. Rollisson
of Tooting, in 1875. The latter was
probably a part of one of the two original
introductions, for I find no record of further
introductions of the species until the
'Sanderae' variety was found. This is uncertain,
since a number of persons later
exhibited parishii, one under the name of
Rutherford's variety.
In 1872, Reichenbach (Gardeners'
Chronicle, Vol. 1, New Series, March 14,
1874, p. 338) examined a dried specimen
of the plant at Richmond, Surrey, in the
presence of Reverend Parish. On this basis,
before the species had ever flowered in
England, he named it Cymbidium parishii as
a distinct species.
Flowering
In 1878 (Gard. Chron, Vol. 10, n.s.,
pt. 2, July 20, 1878, p. 74) Mr. Swan, grower
for Mr. Leech, stated in a letter of June
25th that his flower of parishii was open on
June 18th (Tuesday) and that he had seen
Mr. Day's plant "in bud last Wednesday"
(June 19th). Therefore, contrary to some
accounts, we must grant the honor of flowering
Cym. parishii first in Europe to Mr.
Leech of Manchester on June 18, 1878. I
have gone into much detail regarding these
dates because many accounts are contradictory
and I believe the above dates clarify
the actual times of importing Cym. parishii
into England and the actual date of first
flowering in Europe. Mr. Swan had sent
one of Mr. Leech's flowers to Reichenbach
about June 25, 1878.
The Day plant flowered shortly after
Leech's was sold for 100 guineas to B. S.
Williams' firm, who again flowered it, and
a sketch was made for the Orchid Album
(Vol. 1, t. 25, 1882). In 1885, Cym. parishii
received an F.C.C. award from the
Royal Horticultural Society, awarded to
Lawrence (probably Sir Trevor Lawrence).
There are records of Cym. parishii having
been exhibited a number of times, even as
late as 1912. These may be the 'Sanderae'
variety or other Micholitz clones, since the
Orchid World (Vol. 6, 1916, p. 129) states
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