328 ME. G. BENTHAM ON" OECHIDE-E. 



out any special character in their structure. Mesospinidium, 

 Beichb. f., was originally founded on a plant which the collector 

 reported as resembling in habit this group of Odontoglossum ; 

 and I can find neither in Beichenbach's character nor in his 

 figure (Xen. Orch. t. 16), nor yet in the loose flowers in herb. 

 Lindl. received from him, any thing to separate it from these 

 Myanthia, amongst which it appears to be very close to, if not 

 identical with, O. ramulosum, Lindl. The species since referred 

 by Beichenbach to Mesospinidium are very different in aspect as 

 in structure, and belong to Cochlioda, Abola, or Ada. 



Oncidium, Sw., now reckons above two hundred published 

 species, including probably a considerable number of horticultural 

 varieties. It is, with few exceptions, a natural genus, now well 

 known and rarely confounded with its allies. Lindley distributed 

 the species into fourteen series, of which the following four are 

 the most distinct ; but even these can scarcely be considered 

 sections. 1. Microchila, a few species forming the genus Cyrto- 

 chilum, H. B. & K., in which the middle lobe of the labellum is 

 small and narrow, whilst in the normal species it is peculiarly 

 large, broad, and flat. 2. Equitantia, for O. iridifolium, H. B. 

 & K., and two or three allied species, all small with distichous 

 leaves, and exceptional in the genus as not forming the terminal 

 pseudobulb. But O. onustum, Lindl., and O. crista-galli, 

 Beichb. f. (O. decipiens, Lindl.), placed at first amongst Equi- 

 iantia as nearly resembling O. iridifolium, have since been re- 

 moved as really thickening at the end into the normal pseudobulb. 

 3. Teretifolia, a few species with short fleshy terete leaves on 

 small pseudobulbs ; and 4. Planifolia, comprising the great mass 

 of species, of which no satisfactory subordinate arrangement has 

 yet been proposed. 



Miltonia, Lindl., about ten species, Brassia, R. Br., about twenty 

 species, Solenidium, Lindl., a single one, and Leiochilus, Kn. & 

 Westc. (Cryptosaccus, Scheidw.), including HJiynchostele, Beichb. 

 f., four or five species, are all very near Oncidium, with which 

 Beichenbach proposes to unite them ; but all appear to have very 

 fairly definite generic characters. So also has Sigmatostalicc, Beichb. 

 f., as to his 8. pictum and 8, radicans. But SpecJclinia graminea, 

 Pcepp. & Endl., which he also refers to this genus, does not well 

 correspond with the character given, judging at least from the 

 figure and description, for I have not seen any specimen. Ery- 

 cina, Lindl., is a single, very distinct, Mexican species, placed 



