Part 12

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.

Plate 22

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

PLATE XXIII.

ODONTOGLOSSUM TRIUMPHANS.

SPLENDID ODONTOGLOSSUM.

O. (XANTHOGLOSSUM, Lindl.) pseudobulbis ovatis 1-2-phyllis foliis lato lanceolatis acutis, basi attenuatis, racemo multifloro, bracteis triangularibus ovario pedicellato 4-5plo brevioribus, sepalis oblongo-acutis basi bene attenuatis, petalis subæqualibus latioribus, magis acuminatis, utrinque hinc illinc lobulatis, labello unguiculato basi bifalci, utrinque bicalloso laminâ panduratâ apiculatâ, columnæ alis rhombeis ascendentibus margine externo erosulis.

ODONTOGLOSSUM TRIUMPHANS, Reichenbach fil. Bonpl. ii. 99; Walpers Annales, vi. p. 831; Pescatorea, t. 46.

Habitat in N. GRENADA, Warscewicz. OCANA, 6000-8000 feet, Schlim, Wagener.

DESCRIPTION.

PSEUDOBULBS ovate, very similar to those of O. Hallii, bearing generally two stout sharp-pointed LEAVES a foot or more long. RACEME many-(6-18) flowered, half a yard or 2 feet long, rather drooping. BRACTS small and triangular, 4 or 5 times shorter than the ovary. SEPALS 1½ to 2 inches long, oblong-acute, narrowed at the base. PETALS about the same size as the sepals, but broader and more acuminate, sometimes diversely lobed on either side like the sepals, nearly covered with rich chestnut blotches on a bright yellow ground. LIP white with deep reddish blotches at apex, shorter than petals, unguiculate, pandurate, partially connate with the column, toothed at the edges, bicarinate at base, provided with CREST consisting of two sets of falcate teeth, extending about one-third of its own length. COLUMN white, half the length of the lip, furnished with upright rhomb-like wings the edges of which are indented.

This is a very fine species indeed, although it scarcely realizes the expectations excited by the figure in Pescatorea, whether as regards the size of the individual blossoms or their colour. In the fresh flowers the prevailing tone is a bright yellow, which serves as a foil to the rich brown or chestnut marking with which the sepals and petals are profusely covered, and which, though to a lesser degree, cover also the lip. But in Pescatorea the lip is represented as white, and as bearing at its upper extremity a rich blotch of bright purple which affords a beautiful contrast to the yellow and brown tints of the other parts of the flower. Probably the figure referred to may have been prepared from dried specimens and hence the mistake as to the colouring.

There are many varieties of this species, some of the best of which were exhibited by Mr. Marshall of Enfield at a meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society as early as April, 1869.