ODOURS OF ORCHIDS
Many Orchids have fragrant flowers, while in some sections the fragrance
is emitted by the whole plant. A large number of Burmese and Indian,
highland Orchids, such as _Dendrobium moschatum_, the section of
deciduous Bulbophyllums which includes _B. auricomum_, _B. hirtum_, _B.
comosum_, and _B. suavissimum_, have leaves that on becoming dry after
falling give off a strong odour of newly-mown hay, the plants also in
all their parts being similarly scented when dry, even the cases
containing them being pleasantly scented by the plants.
The odours of Orchid flowers may generally be likened to well-known
perfumes. _Trichopilia suavis_, _Miltonia Roezlii_, and others are
scented like the Rose; _Odontoglossum odoratum_ and some other
Odontoglossums, _Maxillaria picta_ and other Maxillarias, like the
Hawthorn. Certain Maxillarias of the _M. luteo-alba_ section are scented
like Honeysuckle, and odour similar to the Tuberose is given off by many
Angraecums. Some have a much stronger odour at night than in the day, a
peculiarity which is found in _Epidendrum nocturnum_, _E. ciliare_, and
many species. Vanilla is a common scent in Orchids, being present in
some Vandas. The odour of Violets is furnished by _Dendrobium
heterocarpum_ and others of its class, and the Primrose, Wallflower, and
other common garden plants have their exact imitators in the matter of
scent in some tropical Orchids--indeed, it is an interesting subject to
consider how plants resemble each other in this particular. Then there
are large numbers of Orchids with such delicate odours that some are
unable to appreciate them, but they are specially grateful to those who
detect them. Again, some Orchids have different odours at different
times in the day. It is not safe, therefore, to declare a plant
scentless unless it has been tested repeatedly at different times.
Variation in odour has been noticed. We remember flowering the first
_Odontoglossum hebraicum_, and on testing it its odour was of cinnamon.
It passed to Sir Trevor Lawrence's collection, and we asked the late Mr.
Spyers to test the odour, and he replied that it was of Hawthorn, like
others of its class. He tested it several times with the same result,
but for some time before it passed off he reported to us that it smelt
exactly like cinnamon. Then there are odours in Orchids about which
opinions are divided as to whether they are pleasant or not. _Oncidium
ornithorhynchum_ is an example; some like the odour of it very much,
while it is disagreeable to others. The same applies to Anguloas, some
Lycastes and Stanhopeas with strongly aromatic scent, which are pleasant
at a distance, but not so when too closely approached. But the majority
are distinctly pleasant, _Cattleya Dowiana_ and its hybrids, _C.
Eldorado_ and others, being delicately fragrant.
A very few are malodorous, _Bulbophyllum Beccari_ not being tolerable
under any circumstances, the flowers smelling like some of the
Stapelias.