Plate 386. 

 OXCLDIUM MACRANTHUM HASTIFKUIM. 



No little interest was excited amongst not onlj the general 

 public but amongst our Orchid-growers themselves, by the 

 specimen of this very beautiful Orchid which appeared at one 

 of the recent fortnightly meetings of the Royal Horticultural 

 Society. It was a plant excellently grown and Howem! by Mr. 

 Richards, gardener to the Earl of Londesborough, a nobleman 

 Who has of late vears taken a great interest in tins lovelj and 

 varied family. Since then, it has been exhibited by Messrs. 

 Veitch and Son ; while, to show the persistency of the bloom, 

 the plant exhibited by Lord Londesborough was again shown, 

 a month afterwards, in full vigour and beauty. It is this 

 which constitutes one great point of value in some of the 

 Orchids; some indeed, like the Stanhopeas, are evanescent 

 enough, but others last for weeks in bloom, without showing 

 any deterioration in their beautifully striking blooms. 



'The flowers of Orchids rarely exhibit anything like regu- 

 larity of outline; but while looking at this plant exhibited by 

 Messrs. Veitch, at a meeting of the Floral Committee, one of 

 our most celebrated botanists accosted us with the remark, 

 "This would almost do for a florist ;" and it will be seen that 

 there is a regularity of outline in Oncidium macranthum hasti- 

 ferum very unusual amongst Orchids. The colour is of a rich 

 golden yellow; the flowers, as might be supposed, from their 

 continuing so long in bloom, are of a very great substance; 

 while the lilac markings contrast well with the richness oi the 

 golden yellow of the petals and sepals; the spike is Ion- and 

 the number of flowers will vary will, the character of culti- 



