ODONTOGLOSSUM. 421 



OdONTOGLOSSUM, Humboldt, Bonpland, and Kunth. 

 ( Tribe Yandeae, suhtribe Oncidiese. ) 



To this comprehensive genus of Orchids so many mag- 

 nificent additions have been made during the last few years 

 that it now contains some of the choicest and most useful 

 decorative species in cultivation. In so extensive a genus 

 it might be expected that some of the species would be of 

 inferior merit as regards their ornamental properties, and 

 such is indeed the case ; but all those here described are 

 worthy of a place in every collection. They are all of them 

 evergreen, producing their flower scapes from the base of the 

 pseudobulbs, which in some of the species are stout and thick, 

 and in others are of small size, with small narrow foliage. They 

 have usually spreading flowers with the sepals and petals free, 

 or the lateral ones very shortly connate at the base, the claw 

 of the lip, which is often very short, being parallel with the 

 exauriculate column, and the limb spreading. The scapes are 

 rarely short and few flowered, more frequently paniculately 

 branched, and the flowers are mostly of a showy character. 

 Nearly or quite a hundred species have been found in the 

 South American Andes, and the major part of them have 

 already made their way into our Orchid collections. 



Culture. — The Odontoglots require to be placed either in an 

 intermediate or cool house to grow them successfully. With 

 the exception of 0. Krameri, 0. Phalmiopsis, 0. Roezlii, 0. 

 vexillarium, and 0. Warcseiviczii, which thrive better with the 

 Cattleyas, they succeed best in a cool house, the temperature 

 of which in autumn and winter ranges from 45° to 55°. Some 

 are best grown in baskets, while most of the species do best 

 in pots, in rough fibrous peat with live sphagnum moss on 

 the peat, and good drainage below, a li^ eral supply of water 



