ORCHIDS. 



297 



I have one or two Vandas which are thoroughly exotic in character. 

 The Vanda tricolor (fig. 622) and other species require all the heat of 

 the cucumber-house for their growth. The genus Oncidium, of which 

 many species grow well with' me, affords us many beautiful flowers. The 

 Oncidium papilio (fig. 623) has a flower like a butterfly resting upon the 

 top of a stalk. One flower follows another, and the same stalk after 



FIG. 622. Vanda. 



r IG. 624. O. altissimum. 



FIG,. ^23. Oncid'um papilio. 



a period of rest forms other flowers ; so that this beautiful, curious plant 

 flowers afresh many times in a year. It does well in the fernery, and 

 forms fine bulbs in that situation. 



Some of the species of Oncidium form flower-stalks four or five 

 yards long, and I myself have one which has spikes three yards in 

 length. It is interesting to watch the growth of O. altissimum (fig. 624). 



FIG. 625. Oncidium flexuosum. 



FIG. 626. O. Harrisii. 



The flower-spike grows its full length, and then at every joint the 

 flowering ,spikelets come forth, so that the whole of the long spike is 

 clothed with beautiful flowers at the same time. 



O. flcxuosum (fig. 625) is a pretty Brazilian species. It likes the 



