364 ORCHIDS. 
this would have been a mistake, and it has never been 
insisted on. The floral characters which distinguish 
Oncidium are the short and thick column, with its two 
ear-like appendages, the lip forming an angle with the 
column, the usually warty crest on the latter, and its 
generally large, spreading front lobe. In habit, size, and 
shape of pseudo-bulb, in form and size of leaves, and 
in form of inflorescence, there is considerable variation 
amongst Oncidiums. The blossoms also vary from very 
small to large and showy ones; the arrangement and 
relative sizes of the different parts of the flower are 
equally diversified, and the colour ranges from yellow 
(the predominating hue) to brown, purple, white, and green. 
The charm of the Oncidiums resides in their generally 
huge spikes of bloom, their bright, attractive colours, and 
the beauty or peculiarity of the form of their flowers. 
The Butterfly Orchid (O. Papilio), with its singular form 
and rich colouration, so delighted the late Duke of Devon- 
shire when he saw it in flower at Chiswick, soon after its 
first introduction, that he determined to form a special 
collection of Orchids at Chatsworth. This set the fashion 
of Orchid-growing which is now so prevalent. O. Lan- 
ceanum, O. macranthum, O. Marshallianum, O. tigrinum, 
and O. varicosum, are amongst the most effective Orchids 
grown for exhibition. Even the smaller and less showy 
kinds are possessed of beauty and interest which entitle 
them to a place in all good collections. Then the flowers 
remain fresh for a very long time, and are often fragrant. 
Culture.—Their wide range of distribution, and the dif- 
ference in regard to the climatic and atmospheric conditions 
in which they grow wild, make it impossible for gardeners 
to accommodate all the popular Oncidiums in one house. 
The few distinctly tropical species, represented by 
O. Jonesianum, O. Lanceanum, and O. Papilio, can only be 
