in Pescatorea_, _sub t._ 19; _Walpers_, _Annales_, vi. _fasc._ 6.
_Lemaire in Illustr. Hortic. pl._ 213.
Habitat in MEXICO, _Ghiesbreght_.
DESCRIPTION.
_An epiphyte._ PSEUDOBULBS _oblong, slightly furrowed, from 2 to 4 inches
long, clustered together_. LEAVES _2 on each pseudobulb, shining and
leathery, oblong-lanceolate, pointed, about a foot long, much shorter
than the scape_. SCAPE _upright or nodding, from 2 feet to a yard high,
spotted, loosely panicled, bearing from 10 to sometimes probably 50
flowers_. BRACTS _few, short, and membranous, fitting close to the stem_.
SEPALS _and_ PETALS _nearly equal, oblong-lanceolate, apiculate, about an
inch long, greenish-yellow, barred with dark purplish-brown_. LIP _purple
in some varieties, in others white, with a horseshoe-shaped band of
purple on its disk, oblong, rather blunt, and slightly lobed at the apex,
somewhat heart-shaped at the base, where there is a callosity on either
side, and a double carina_. COLUMN _very slightly winged_.
This pretty species is well figured in 'Pescatorea,' where it is stated to
be a native of Mexico, whence it was introduced by M. Linden, of Brussels.
It was from his establishment that I derived the plant that is represented
on the other side, and which flowered at Knypersley in May last (1865). It
appears to be very easily managed, requiring the same temperature and
treatment as _O. læve_, to which it is nearly allied, and which forms the
subject of the following Plate. It is also very closely related to _O.
Karwinskii_; and I do not feel certain that the two may not eventually have
to be united. At present, however, so few plants of either kind exist in
the collections of this country, that the materials necessary for an
extensive comparison are not forthcoming.
The specific name was given by Professor Reichenbach in honour of M.
Reichenheim, of Berlin, whose collection of Orchids and other plants has
long been celebrated.
DISSECTIONS.--1. Side view (_magnified_) of lip and column; 2. Front view
of ditto.
[Illustration]
Plate XVI
[Illustration: Odontoglossum læve.]
PLATE XVI.
ODONTOGLOSSUM LÆVE.
SMOOTH-LIPPED ODONTOGLOSSUM.
O. (ISANTHIUM) pseudobulbis subcompressis sulcatis diphyllis, foliis
oblongo-ensiformibus obtuse acutis apice obliquis, scapis multifloris
brevioribus, floribus laxe racemoso-paniculatis, bracteis brevibus
membranaceis, sepalis petalisque oblongo-linearibus acutis planis,
labelli limbo panduriformi apiculato ungui lævi obsoletissime bidentato,
columnæ alis apice rotundatis crispis basi planis. _Lindl._
ODONTOGLOSSUM LÆVE, _Lindl. in Bot. Reg._ (1844), _t._ 39; _L. Fol. Orch._
_n._ 52.
Habitat in GUATEMALA, _Skinner_.
DESCRIPTION.
PSEUDOBULBS _from 3 to 5 inches long, ovate, subcompressed, furrowed,
2-leaved_. LEAVES _sword-shaped, obtuse, or obtusely-acute, sometimes
slightly oblique at their extremities, a foot or more long, shorter than
the many-flowered flower-stems_. FLOWER-STEMS _loosely branched, 2 to 3
feet long, rather drooping, bearing from 20 to (sometimes) 100_ FLOWERS.
BRACTS _from half an inch to an inch long, sharp-pointed, clipping
tightly hold of the stem_. SEPALS _and_ PETALS _nearly equal,
oblong-linear, acute, plane at the edges, usually about an inch long,
light green, transversely banded with brown_. LIP _with a fiddle-shaped,
apiculate limb doubled back on its unguis or claw, white, changing into
purple at its base, where it is sometimes very obscurely bidentate_.
WINGS _of_ COLUMN _crisp at the edges, plane at the base_.
This is not one of the most attractive species, but its stately appearance,
the profuseness with which its flowers are produced and their pleasant
aroma, will secure it a place in most collections. It is common in
Guatemala, where Mr. Skinner originally discovered it, and it probably
extends as far as Mexico, where the nearly allied species (_O.
Reichenheimii_), figured in the preceding Plate, is found. As it is only
met with at a great elevation, it must be treated as a very "cool" Orchid,
under which _régime_ it will flower abundantly in the spring months. The
chief danger to be guarded against is that of its exhausting itself--like
many species of _Phalænopsis_--by over-much flowering, and to prevent which
it is of course only necessary to break off some of the scapes.
DISSECTIONS.--1. Lip, seen in front; 2. Lip and column, seen sideways:
_magnified_.
Plate XVII
[Illustration: Odontoglossum atropurpureum.]
PLATE XVII.
ODONTOGLOSSUM LUTEO-PURPUREUM.
YELLOW AND BROWN ODONTOGLOSSUM.
O. (EUODONTOGLOSSUM) pseudobulbis ovatis subcompressis diphyllis, foliis
ensiformibus racemis multifloris nutantibus subæqualibus, bracteis ovatis
acutis squamæformibus, pedicellis internodiis æquantibus, sepalis
petalisque subæqualibus oblongo-lanceolatis acuminatis, labelli breviter
unguiculati lateribus planis, limbo subpanduriformi antice
lacero-serrulato, cristâ ad basin multidigitatâ, columnæ petalis triplo
brevioris vix arcuatæ alis multifidis crinitis.
ODONTOGLOSSUM LUTEO-PURPUREUM, _Lindl. Orch. Linden._ _n._ 85; _Fol. Orch._
_n._ 7.
ODONTOGLOSSUM RADIATUM, _Rchb. Gard. Chron._ (1864, _New Plants_, _n._
307.)
ODONTOGLOSSOM HYSTRIX, _Bateman in Gard. Chron._ 1864, _New Plants_, _n._
282.
Habitat in N. GRANADA, prope Quindiu, alt. 8000 p., _Linden_; prope Santa
Fé de Bogotá, _Weir_, _Blunt_.
DESCRIPTION.
PSEUDOBULBS _about 3 or 4 inches long, somewhat compressed, ovale,
2-leaved_. LEAVES _sword-shaped, sharp-pointed, a foot or more long,
about the same length as the many-flowered nodding_ RACEMES. BRACTS
_ovate, acute, scaly_. PEDICELS _equalling in length the average spaces
between the_ FLOWERS. SEPALS _and_ PETALS _nearly equal,
oblong-lanceolate (the petals sometimes unguiculate), acuminate, of a
rich chocolate-brown inside, with edges and tips of a greenish-yellow_.
LIP _with a very short claw, fiddle-shaped, at its side-edges plane, its
centre-lobe minutely serrate and apiculate, with a multitude of
finger-like processes (varying in different individuals) seated on the
claw, and with their bristles all more or less inclining forwards. The
upper portion of the lip is white, with a brown base, which again is
banded with white beneath the series of bristles, which are of a rich
golden-yellow_. COLUMN _only one-third the length of the petals, slightly
arched, with lacerated, hairy wings nearly concealing the anther_.
The vicissitudes which the name of this species has had to undergo within
the last three years are full of instruction both to botanists and the
public. It was first described by Lindley from wild specimens gathered by
Linden in the neighbourhood of Quindiu. Mr. Weir was the next to meet with
it, and he succeeded in sending to the Horticultural Society several living
plants that had been obtained about 100 miles to the south of Bogotá. He
also sent wild specimens in admirable condition which, not agreeing with
Lindley's description, and being profusely furnished both at the base of
the lip and in the apex of the column with long bristle-like appendages,
led to my calling it _O. hystrix_ (_i. e._ the Porcupine Odontoglossum).
Messrs. Low also received the plant, through their collector Mr. Blunt,
from the same locality as that where Weir met with it, and one of their
plants produced flowers which--neither agreeing with Lindley's _O.
luteo-purpureum_ nor with my _O. hystrix_--received from Professor
Reichenbach the name of _O. radiatum_. Subsequently many specimens
flowered, no two of which were alike, though they all maintained a sort of
distant family resemblance to _O. luteo-purpureum_ of which--as the
Professor himself was the first to point out--there can now be no doubt
that they are all varieties.
The figure is taken from a plant that flowered in Mr. Day's collection in
the autumn of 1865, the flowers of which were twice the size of those of a
plant that flowered with me,--but still larger varieties have since
appeared in the collections of Lord Egerton of Tatton and Mr. Wentworth
Buller.
The species, being found at an elevation of 8000 feet or more, requires
very "cool" treatment, and should be referred to what--for reasons stated
under Plate XX.--I propose to call the "Peruvian house." In this it is very
easily grown, and flowers freely.
The markings in the dried specimens being much deeper than in the fresh
flowers, led Dr. Lindley to give it a name (_O. luteo-purpureum_) which is
scarcely applicable to any variety that has yet appeared,--no _purple_
tints having been observed.
DISSECTIONS.--1. Front view of lip and column; 2. Side view of ditto:
_magnified_.
Plate XVIII
[Illustration: Odontoglossum Bictoniense.]
PLATE XVIII.
ODONTOGLOSSUM BICTONIENSE.
THE BICTON ODONTOGLOSSUM.
(VARIETY WITH LEAFY FLOWER-STEMS.)
O. (LEUCOGLOSSUM) pseudobulbis oblongis compressis 2-3-phyllis, foliis
ensiformibus undulatis patentibus scapo racemoso duplo brevioribus,
bracteis herbaceis lanceolatis acuminatis ovario duplo brevioribus,
sepalis petalisque subæqualibus lineari-lanceolatis maculatis, labelli
ungue bilamellato limbo cordato acuminato undulato, columnæ alis
transverse oblongis integris.
CYRTOCHILUM BICTONIENSE, _Bateman_, _Orch. Mex. et Gua._ _t._ 6.
ZYGOPETALUM AFRICANUM, _Bot. Mag._ _t._ 3812.
Habitat in GUATEMALA, _Skinner_; circa 6-7000 ped. alt.
DESCRIPTION.
PSEUDOBULBS _oblong, 3 to 6 inches long, somewhat compressed, bearing 2
or 3_ LEAVES, _which are sword-shaped, spread open, much shorter than the
upright purple many-flowered_ SCAPE. _The latter, in its normal state, is
unbranched, and destitute of leaves, but in the variety represented in
the Plate has numerous branches, and is leafy at the extremities_. BRACTS
_herbaceous, lanceolate, acuminate, not half the length of the ovary_.
SEPALS _and_ PETALS _nearly equal, linear-lanceolate, light-green
spotted, or banded with brown_. LIP _with a bilamellate claw and a
heart-shaped, acuminate limb, waved at the margin. In most cases the lip
is white or nearly so, in others it has more or less of a rosy or
purplish tint_. COLUMN-WINGS _transversely oblong, entire_.
The Plate represents a remarkable state of this now well-known plant, which
I have observed only in the collection of Mr. Aspinall Turner, of
Pendlebury House, near Manchester. In its normal or ordinary condition _O.
Bictoniense_ produces--in the winter months--simple, upright flower-stems,
but in Mr. Turner's plant the stems are branched, and, what is still more
extraordinary, are _leafy_ at their extremities! Nor was this peculiarity
confined to the growth of a single season, for it has already reappeared at
least three years in succession! It produces a very singular effect, though
it can hardly be said to add to the beauty of the plant.
_O. Bictoniense_, so called after Lady Rolle, of Bicton, in Devonshire, was
the earliest species of this popular genus that ever reached England alive.
It also formed a portion of the first box of Orchids that I ever received
from Guatemala, whence they were sent to me in 1835 by my invaluable friend
George Ure Skinner, now (1867) alas!--most suddenly and
unexpectedly--numbered with the dead!
This is not the place for a memoir of that generous and enthusiastic
spirit;--let it suffice to state that Mr. Skinner was on his way to
Guatemala for a final visit, when he was attacked by yellow-fever early in
February last on the Isthmus of Panama, and carried off after three days'
illness! He was collecting plants on the Saturday before his death, and on
the Wednesday he was a corpse! He was in his 63rd year, and had he but been
permitted to return to England, would have crossed the Atlantic exactly
forty times! He was the discoverer of _O. grande_ and _O. Uro-Skinneri_,
already figured in this work, and of at least fifty other Orchids,
including the well-known _Lycaste Skinneri_ perhaps the most useful and
popular of its tribe.
DISSECTIONS.--1. Lip and column, seen sideways; 2. Ditto ditto, seen in
front: _magnified_.
Plate XIX
[Illustration: Odontoglossum Alexandræ. (_Weirs variety_)]
PLATE XIX.
ODONTOGLOSSUM ALEXANDRÆ.
PRINCESS OF WALES' ODONTOGLOSSUM
(WHITE, OR WEIR'S VARIETY).
Of this charming Odontoglossum, which I had the honour to dedicate to
H.R.H. the Princess of Wales, there appear to be innumerable varieties. Of
these some--like the one figured at Plate XIV.--have crimson spots, others
again are spotted with brown, while a third section--like the one
represented in the Plate--have flowers of the purest white, relieved only
by the rich golden crest of the lip. An excellent example of the latter
variety was sent to me nearly two years ago by Mr. Paterson, of Ashville,
Partrickhill, near Glasgow, and from this Mr. Fitch's drawing was obtained.
Since then, other specimens of the same kind have been communicated to me,
especially by Mr. Wentworth Buller, Mr. Jones, of Whalley Range, near
Manchester, Mr. Bull, and Mr. Dawson of Meadow Bank. The last was an
admirable specimen bearing as it did on a curved stalk about a dozen
perfect flowers, all of which faced the same way, so as to form a sort of
natural tiara exactly suited to a lady's head and which--especially when
worn on dark hair--could not fail to produce a most beautiful effect.
This variety has also flowered at the Royal Gardens, Kew, a fact that is
not a little creditable to Mr. Smith's (the Curator's) energy and skill, he
being compelled to grow his Orchids in houses that are very ill adapted to
such a purpose. Surely the Government of this wealthy country might afford
to devote a few hundred pounds to the construction of houses in which these
most popular and marvellous plants might be worthily grown!
As the first specimens of the _white_ variety of _O. Alexandræ_ were
collected by Mr. Weir, it is only fitting that his name should be
associated with it, just as the name of his rival Mr. Blunt has been
connected with the variety distinguished by its crimson spots. Plants of
both frequently acquire a reddish tint both in their bulbs and leaves, a
tint which, wherever it occurs, is a sure criterion by which _O. Alexandræ_
may be distinguished from other Odontoglossa that closely resemble it in
habit.
_O. Alexandræ_ proves to be a slow grower, and to require the coolest
compartment of the Peruvian house. If this condition be attended to, it
gives no trouble whatever, and produces its exceedingly durable flowers
very freely indeed.
Dr. Triana met with it on the trunks of very large trees with dense
foliage, ten leagues from Bogotá, and also at Pacho.
DISSECTIONS.--1. Lip and column, seen in front; 2. Ditto, seen sideways:
_magnified_.
Plate XX
[Illustration: Odontoglossum maculatum.]
PLATE XX.
ODONTOGLOSSUM MACULATUM.
SPOTTED ODONTOGLOSSUM.
O. (XANTHOGLOSSUM) pseudobulbis oblongis compressis monophyllis, foliis
oblongis nervosis acutiusculis, racemis subpendulis multifloris
brevioribus, bracteis navicularibus herbaceis ovario brevioribus, sepalis
lineari-lanceolatis acuminatis discoloribus, petalis oblongis undulatis
acuminatis, labello cordato acuminato subcrenato, appendice unguis
bivalvi concavâ cochleari apice liberâ bidentatâ per medium argute
serrulatâ, columnâ pubescente subapterâ. _Lindl._
ODONTOGLOSSUM MACULATUM, _Llave_, _Orch. Mex._ 2, 35; _Bot. Reg._ 1840,
_t._ 30; _Pescatorea_, _t._ 28; _Lindl. Fol. Orch._
Habitat in MEXICO, _Lexarza_, _Barker_, _Karwinski_.
DESCRIPTION.
PSEUDOBULBS _narrow, oblong, much compressed, from 2 to 4 inches long,
1-leaved_. LEAVES _lanceolate-oblong, nervose, more or less
sharp-pointed, shorter than the flower-scapes_. BRACTS _boat-shaped,
acuminate, the lower ones shorter than the upper ones, nearly as long as
the ovary_. RACEMES _nodding, sometimes pendulous, 5- to 12-flowered,
about a foot long_. FLOWERS _variable in size and colour, which is
sometimes a brightish at other times only a greenish-yellow, spotted with
brown_. SEPALS _brown inside, linear-lanceolate, acuminate_. PETALS
_rather wide, oblong, waved, acuminate_. LIP _heart-shaped, acuminate,
slightly crenate, with a two-cleft process forming a pair of blunt teeth
at the upper end of the claw_. COLUMN _pubescent, clavate, wingless_.
This plant is common in many parts of Mexico, especially on the Irapæan
mountains in the neighbourhood of Valladolid, where it was originally
discovered and described by Lexarza, that earliest of Orchid-devotees! It
was also one of the earliest species of the extensive genus to which it
belongs that ever produced flowers in England. The credit of introducing it
belongs to the late Mr. Barker, of Birmingham, with whom it bloomed about
the year 1839, but it soon disappeared, like nearly the whole of the
invaluable collection of Mexican Orchids that I remember having seen in the
most splendid condition, shortly after their arrival, in his stoves.
Fifteen years afterwards it was reintroduced by M. Linden, from whose
establishment the figure in _'Pescatorea'_ was obtained, but it seems to
have again been lost. Last spring (1866) I had the pleasure of seeing the
species in the best possible health in Mr. Dawson's rich and
admirably-managed collection at Meadow Bank near Glasgow, and from his
plant, which flowered in April, Mr. Fitch's drawing was prepared. I also
received specimens about the same time from Mr. Turner. Still more
recently, Messrs. Hugh Low and Co. have imported it in large quantities and
excellent condition, and many good varieties have already appeared, though
none that I have yet seen are so fine or so richly coloured as that of Mr.
Dawson. One that is now flowering at Knypersley is a dull yellowish-green.
In its native country it flowers in March, which is about the time of its
flowering with us. As to treatment it will naturally be found more at home
in the Mexican house, where a cool and comparatively dry atmosphere should
be maintained, than in the Peruvian house, which should be suited to the
species that are accustomed to a damper and--not unfrequently--still cooler
climate. I have no doubt that this distinction will be found of much
practical utility, for although "cool treatment" as opposed to "warm" marks
a very important division still, just as among "warm" plants it is
necessary to separate the East Indian Aerides from the Brazilian Cattleyas,
so among "cool" plants it will be advisable to separate the Mexican Lælias
from the Peruvian Odontoglossa. Nay, I apprehend that what I call the
"Peruvian house" will itself have to be subdivided into two portions, one
of which, _i. e._ the warm portion, will contain such plants as the
Trichopilias, the Anguloas, and such Odontoglossa as are met with below
6500 feet, while the other or cooler portion will be suited to an
innumerable multitude of glorious Orchids that are met with at a still
higher elevation. Already cultivators have discovered that _O. Phalænopsis_
and _O. nævium_ cannot be made to thrive in the same house, for though both
are "cool" plants the former--coming as it does from a lower
level--requires a decidedly warmer climate than the latter, and so it will
be in many other cases which are not yet so distinctly understood.
DISSECTIONS.--1. Lip and column, seen sideways; 2. Front view of ditto:
_magnified_.
Plate 21
[Illustration: Odontoglossum Hallii.]
PLATE XXI.
ODONTOGLOSSUM HALLII.
COLONEL HALL'S ODONTOGLOSSUM.
O. (EUODONTOGLOSSUM, _Lindl._) pseudobulbis ovatis, ancipitibus
1-2-phyllis, foliis ensiformibus in basin angustatis, racemo multifloro
(raro sub-paniculato), sepalis petalisque ovato-lanceolatis unguiculatis
labello oblongo acuminato lacero, cristâ baseos lamellatâ multifidâ,
columnæ alis dente superiore aristato.
ODONTOGLOSSUM HALLII, _Lindl. in Bot. Reg. sub t._ 1992, _et Folia
Orchid._; _Reichenbach fil._ Xenia, i. 63; _Walpers Annales_, vi. p. 828.
Habitat in PERU (western declivity of Pichincha), _Hartweg_; Valley of
LLOA, at elevation of 8000 ft., _Col. Hall_; N. GRENADA in forests of
Pamplona, 8500 ft., _Linden_.
DESCRIPTION.
PSEUDOBULBS _ovate, 2 to 4 inches long, compressed, 2-edged, bearing
generally one, occasionally two, lanceolate_ LEAVES, _a foot or more
long_. RACEME _many (10-20) flowered, occasionally though rarely
branched, 2 to 3 feet long_. SEPALS _and_ PETALS _nearly equal,
ovate-lanceolate, exceedingly unguiculate, from an inch to (in some
varieties) an inch and a half or even 2 inches long, yellow with large,
often very dark, blotches of purplish-brown_. LIP _white, with a few rich
spots, oblong-acuminate, jagged at the edges, with a large and handsome
yellow_ CREST, _consisting of a multitude of flattened but sharp-pointed
teeth, pointing sideways and downwards_. COLUMN _white, winged, the wings
broken into teeth or cirrhi, of which the uppermost is much the largest_.
This fine _Odontoglossum_ was one of the earliest known though one of the
latest to reach us alive. It is now (1873) plentiful enough, and forms a
most attractive object in our spring Orchid-shows. There are many varieties
differing greatly in the size and marking of their flowers, but all
maintaining the unguiculate sepals and petals which chiefly distinguish it
from _O. luteo-purpureum_ (Pl. 17), to which it is indeed very nearly
allied. _O. Hallii_ is abundant in New Grenada and Peru, but is seldom met
with at a lower elevation than 8000 feet, hence it is quite at home in the
coolest part of the "cool Orchid-house," in which it grows and flowers very
freely indeed.
In the woodcut, a solitary flower of a larger variety of the species is
represented, natural size.
[Illustration]
Plate 22
[Illustration: Odontoglossum Roseum.]
PLATE XXII.
ODONTOGLOSSUM ROSEUM.
ROSY ODONTOGLOSSUM.
O. pseudobulbis ovatis ancipitibus 1-phyllis, foliis oblongo-lanceolatis
racemo gracili multifloro duplo brevioribus, bracteis ovatis concavis
subangulatis pedicellis duplo brevioribus, sepalis petalisque
lanceolatis, labello trilobo basi bilamellato: lobis lateralibus nanis
rotundatis intermedio obcuneato acuto, columnâ elongatâ apice alis 3
membranaceis integris auctâ.
ODONTOGLOSSUM ROSEUM, _Lindl. in Bentham Plant. Hartweg_, p. 251.
_Reichenbach fil. in Garden. Chron. April 20, 1867._
Habitat in PERU, _Backhouse_, Nuebrada de los Juntas, _Hartweg_.
DESCRIPTION.
PSEUDOBULBS _ovate, two-edged, much compressed, dark-coloured, from one
to two inches long, carrying a short solitary oblong-lanceolate leaf_.
LEAVES _very sharp-pointed linear-lanceolate, not half the length of the
slender nodding graceful many-flowered_ RACEMES. BRACTS _ovate, slightly
angular, much shorter than the_ PEDICELS. SEPALS _and_ PETALS _nearly
equal, lanceolate, acuminate, linear, two-thirds of an inch long, of a
beautiful bright rose colour_. LIP _about same length as the petals, pale
whitish rose, three-lobed, bilamellate at the base, side-lobes rounded,
very small, intermediate lobe sharp-pointed, obcuneate_. COLUMN _standing
forward, rounded, provided at its apex with three membranous wings_.
A charming little species long known by the specimens in the Lindleyan
Herbarium. It was introduced--though in very limited quantities--by the
Messrs. Backhouse several years ago, since which time it has always
continued scarce. In Lindley's Herbarium the racemes are about the length
of those represented in the figure, but in a specimen exhibited in 1872 by
Mr. Linden the pseudobulbs, leaves, and racemes were nearly twice as large
and as long as those in the Plate. The precise treatment that it affects
has not yet been distinctly ascertained, but there can be no doubt that,
being a denizen of high places on the mountain ranges in Peru, it prefers
the coldest house.
Plate 23
[Illustration: Odontoglossum triumphans.]
PLATE XXIII.
ODONTOGLOSSUM TRIUMPHANS.
SPLENDID ODONTOGLOSSUM.