ONCIDIUM Russcllianum.. 



The Duke of Bedford's Oncidium. 



Nat.ord. Orchidace^, § Vande^. 

 ONCIDIUM.— Supril, vol. 13. fol. 1050. 



B. Labellum integerrimum. 

 O. Russellianum ; pseudobulbis ovatis costatis dipliyllis, follis ligulato-Janceo- 

 latis patentibus, racemo paucifloro radicali, sepalis petalisque conformibus 

 ovato-oblongls subundulatis, labello postico oblongo-cuneato retuso apicidato 

 subsinuato, lamellis disci truncatis. 



Folia l(Ete viridia. Caulis fusco-purpureus . Sepala et petala fusco- 

 purpurea viridi marginata et costata. Labellum lilacinum lamellis disci 

 purpureis albo-7narginatis, quarnm series tres geminatcB truncates sensim 

 antepositce pares duas includunt angustissimas pariter truncates. Columnse 

 al(B semiovatcE eroscE acutcB lutecc ; gynizus margine purpurea basi utrinque 

 bidentato {fig. I-)/ anthera et pollinia Oncidii. 



That this is a genuine species of Oncidium I by no 

 means aver ; on the contrary it differs from the general form 

 of that genus in its undivided posterior lip, and in the two 

 teeth which are placed below the gynizus on either side : its 

 colour too, notwithstanding the example of O. Lanceanum, is 

 different from what prevails in the principal part of the spe- 

 cies of this very natural and extensive genus. Nevertheless 

 I do not feel justified in forming a new genus out of the ma- 

 terials I at present possess. The plant may possibly be a 

 transition species ; and it ranges well enough with the ver- 

 bal character of Oncidium. 



I have named this species in compliment to his Grace 

 the Duke of Bedford, one of the many liberal patrons of 

 Botanical science of whom England now can boast, and in 

 whose stove at Woburn it first appeared in Europe. It was 

 obtained from the garden of Mrs. Moke at Tejuca near Rio 

 Janeiro, by the Hon. Capt. J. Roos, R.N. who sent it to 

 Woburn along with many other valuable plants in 1835. 



