(e2al 
} 
to divide the species into two great branches. Thus we have the comfort and consolation of retaining the high name 
of the Princess of Wales for what is most admirable in these glorious plants. It is a special pleasure to state that the plate 
represents most minutely the typical Odontoglossum Alexandra of Mr. Bateman, and I can corroborate this by a wild 
grown specimen gathered by the late Mr. Weir, labelled and kindly presented to me by Mr. Bateman himself. 
H. G. Rehb. f. 
But twenty years have elapsed since the first living plants of this Orchid were imported to this country from the 
New Grenadan forests. Now it has become the most popular of tropical Orchids, and this, combined with its elegance 
and extreme beauty entitles it to the precedence we give it in our series of Orchid portraits. 
The earliest record we have of O. crispum dates as far back as 1842. In that year it was discovered by Hartweg, 
while on a botanical excursion to New Grenada for the Horticultural Society of London. He found it in the woods near 
the villages of Pacho and Ziquapira, in the province of Santa Fé de Bogota, and he sent home dried specimens, which the 
late Dr. Lindley named O. crispum, on account of its crisped edged flowers. For twenty years nothing was heard of 
this fine Orchid, until at length it was found by John Weir when collecting for the Royal Horticultural Society. In 1863 
live plants were successfully imported by him. When these flowered they appeared so different from Lindley’s O. crispum 
that Mr. Bateman considered it a new species, and named it Odontoglossum Alexandre, in compliment to the Princess of 
Wales. Soon afterwards, when other importations arrived, it was thought that O. Alexandra was but a variety of O. cris- 
pum; intermediate varieties were flowered which connected the large bold flowered forms, with unbranched spikes, with the 
starry flowered forms, with branched spikes, as in the original O. crispum. Being such a variable plant many distinct 
varieties have flowered out of the large importations that have reached this country. Among the finest are Stevensianum, 
Trianze, Schroederianum, Cooksonianum, Ballantinianum, Veitchianum, and Sanderianum. 
Although the geographical range of O. crispum is comparatively limited, there is a marked difference in the varie- 
ties found in various localities. The Pacho mountains are the home of the finest forms, and here the plants grow on the 
lower branches of the forest trees in company with O. gloriosum and O. Lindleyanum, two inferior species in point of 
beauty, but which have perhaps, in a great measure, been instrumental in producing the beautiful narrow petaled supposed 
hybrids, such as Andersonianum, Ruckerianum, Jenningsianum, and others. It is peculiar that, whereas the starry 
flowered forms, similar to Lindley’s type specimen, abound exclusively on the north of Bogota, the woods on the south, 
about ten days journey distant, are rich in the fine round flowered varieties. Although this Orchid is imported in larger 
numbers than any other from South America, the risks and expenses are not slight even now. In our case, we purchase 
the exclusive right to collect plants in the woods in certain districts; natives are employed to gather them, for which 
purpose parties of from four to eight go into the woods, returning in about a fortnight with the result of their labour. 
After the plants have been cleaned and prepared, and kept on wooden stages for several weeks, they are ready for packing. 
They are then fastened to stout sticks, and these are fixed in wooden boxes so as to leave air space around them. The 
cases are carried on mule-back to Bogota, a journey of about ten days, and here they are received by an agent, who sends 
them by mules to Honda, which is reached in another six days. This place is situate on the river Magdalena, and here 
the cases are put on board a river steamer, which takes them to the seaport town of Savanilla, a journey occupying about 
five days. Owing to the intense heat on the river journey the plants often perish. The cases then come, as a rule, by mail 
steamer, véa Colon and St. Thomas to England, the passage being made in about 27 days. The risks, therefore, of im- 
porting this Orchid are great, and owing to the peculiarly soft nature of the plants, they are so liable to decay that in 
some instances seven-eighths of the consignment is dead on arrival here. The havoc made in the native forests, too, must 
be considerable, for we calculate that for every three plants actually established in European gardens a tree has been felled. 
This Orchid is fortunately of easy culture, and it is principally owing to this that it has become so generally 
cultivated. Although it can be succesfully grown in any cool plant house, provided the necessary conditions are observed, 
it can be best dealt with in a specially constructed house, which would also be suitable for numbers of other cool Orchids. 
Being a native of mountain regions not subject to the extremes of heat and cold, the aim should be to keep the plants in a 
cool and moist atmosphere throughout the year, and in order to effect this it is advisable to sink the house about two feet 
below the surrounding level. This will conduce to the maintenance of a cool temperature in hot weather, while in winter the 
house may be kept warm without much artificial heat,—so injurious to cool orchids. The best aspect for the structure is east 
and west, never north. It is advisable to have double stages, so that a layer of evaporating material, such as cocoa-nut fibre 
refuse or peat moss manure, may be placed on the lower stage, while the plants are arranged on a wood trellis. Slate or 
stone stages, even if covered by warmer material, are unsuitable, as also is gravel, for, though the plants delight in a moist 
atmosphere, they abhor a stagnant cold moisture about pots or foliage. While the plants are young they should be 
syringed twice a day in bright weather, from about April till October, During winter they require careful watering, as 
also do old and large plants. The potting soil should consist of fibrous peat and sphagnum moss, so mixed as to allow 
free percolation of water. 
Drawn by permission of Baron J. H. W. Schréder from a plant in The Dell collection near Windsor, 
