ONCIDIUM. 501 



0. sessile, Lindhy. — A pretty species of compact growth. 

 It has two- leaved oblong compressed pseudobulbs, the leaves 

 lorate papery, and the flower scapes bearing panicles of large 

 pale yellow flowers, spotted in the centre with pale cinnamon 

 colour. These flowers are an inch and a half across and 

 nearly two inches deep, the sepals and petals oblong, and the 

 lip auricled with the three-lobed crest smooth and hollowed 

 out, and the broad front portion dilated and retuse. This 

 species, which blooms during the spring months, and lasts 

 in bloom four weeks, will do well in the Cattleya house. — 

 Caracas : Santa Martha. 



ElG.—Paxt. Fl. Gard., i. t. 21. 



0. sphacelatnm, Lindley. — A good free-growing, free- 

 blooming species, with elongate ovate ancipitous pseudo- 

 bulbs, long ensiform leaves, and long 

 branching panicles of flowers, which 

 are bright yellow, the sepals and 

 petals transversely barred with rich 

 deep chestnut brown on the basal 

 half, and the roundish bilobed lip 

 having a bar of the same colour 

 across its contracted base. The 

 flowers are produced in April and 

 May, and last for three or four 

 weeks in beauty. There are two 

 varieties — minus, IJndletj, with 

 smaller flowers; and majUS, Lindley, oncidium sphacelatum. 

 which is much to be preferred, the 



flowers being larger. It is best grown in a pot with peat 

 or moss. — Guatemala; Mexico. 



'ElG.—Bot. Reg., 1842, t. 30. 



0. spleEdidum, A. Rich. — This is a noble species, and very 

 rare ; it is closely related to 0. tigiinum, of which Dr. Hooker 

 makes it a variety, and like that it is very showy and efi"ective. 

 It has short roundish or ovate somewhat compressed pseudo- 

 bulbs, each of which supports a single erect fleshy oblong deep 

 green leaf, and produces at the base a stout erect scape two feet 

 long, terminating in a noble branched inflorescence of large 

 and very handsome flowers. The oblong ligulate recurved 

 sepals and petals are yellowish green heavily barred with 

 rich brown, and the lip is large and flat, the midlobe trans- 

 versely oblong, with a broadish unguis, and of an uniform rich 



