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ONCIDIUM LANCEANUM zinaz 
ONcIDIUM LANCEANUM, Lindl, Hortic. Transact, Vol. IX, p. 5; id, Hortic, Transact. n.s. II. p. 100, t. 7; Bot. Reg., XXIL, t. 1887 ; Knowles & 
Westcott, Flor. Cab, 79; Paxton, Mag. Bot., IV., 169 ; Puydt, Les Orchidées, t. 32 ; Gard. Chron., May 10, 1884, p. 609, fig. 118, 
ONcIpIUM LANCEANUM VAR., Lindenia, t. 16 ; Warner & Williams, Orch. Album, t. 129. 
ONcIDIUM LANCEANUM, ebulbe, foliis oblongis acutis planis subtriatis carnosis scapo racemoso composito erecto rigido racemulis confertifloris, 
sepalis petalisque conformibus oblongis obtusis carnosis concavis margine undulatis, labelli lobo medio dilatato subcuneato integerrimo basi hastato, lobis 
lateralibus semi-ovatis, crista triloba carnosa jugoque clevato proclivi, columne alis carnosis rotundatis, anthera cristata, ; 
Icones analytic. Labellum. Labellum et columna a latere, Columna.  Pollinaria. 
THE large genus Oncidium is deservedly popular on account of the great beauty and fragrance which the flowers of many 
of its representatives possess. What is more striking, for example, than good-flowering specimens of O. Marshallianum, 
varicosum, Rogersii, concolor, tigrinum, splendidum, ampliatum majus, and a host of others? All of these, however, 
possess more or less a monotonous similarity in the bright, yellow colour of their flowers, but Oncidium Lanceanum isa 
very agreeable departure from this rule, and is indeed most remarkably distinct from the great majority of its congeners, 
which it surpasses by the magnificent aspect of its richly-coloured flowers. 
It was originally discovered by Mr. John Henry Lance, in compliment to whom it was named by Dr. Lindley. 
He found it at intervals along the banks of the Surinam River, in Dutch Guiana, growing upon the stems of tamarind 
trees. Some years afterwards it was also found in British Guiana not far from the Roraima region, whence we imported 
a few years ago the beautiful and distinct Cattleya Lawrenceana. It has, however, also been found in North Brazil, near 
Manaos, situate at the juncture of the Rio Negro with the River Amazon, which is about 180 miles south of the equator. 
Here, according to Wallace, the dry season is very hot, the thermometer reaching 95 deg. F. in the shade at two o'clock 
every afternoon, and not sinking below 75 deg. F. during the night ; there is scarcely any rain during the months of July 
and August. The variety known as superbum comes from this region ; it is particularly beautiful, and may be recognised 
by its large and brilliantly-coloured flowers. Although this Oncidium has now been in cultivation for about fifty-five 
years, it is by no means as frequently met with as it ought to be. This is no doubt owing to an impression—happily 
dying out—that it is a very difficult plant to cultivate successfully. Experience and attention have, however, proved that 
it is perfectly amenable to culture, and may be as easily managed as some of the commoner kinds. Oncidium 
Lanceanum may be easily distinguished by means of its oblong-acute, leathery leaves, which spring from short, knotty 
rhizomes, and not from pseudo-bulbs as is usually the case. Their surface is sprinkled with dark, purplish spots, which, 
in conjunction with the dull green ground, give them a peculiar bronzy tint. The large, handsome flowers, which emit 
a delicious odour, are freely produced towards the end of the summer months on an erect scape over a foot in length, and 
they form one of the chief attractions of the Orchid house for two or three months, during which time they present a 
type of beauty which is in striking contrast to that of the generality of Orchids then in bloom—a fact which renders 
this species of great value for exhibition and decorative purposes. The sepals and petals are more or less of a greenish 
yellow, handsomely covered with rich chocolate blotches. The greatest attraction of the flower, however, consists in the 
broad, flattish lip, the basal portion of which is of a brilliant purple, which becomes more intense on each of the sharp 
auricles at the base, while the apical half of the lip is of an agreeable lilac-purple. There are many forms of this fine 
Oncidium in cultivation, all more or less distinguishable by the colour. The two forms best known, however, are 
superbum—mentioned above—and Louvrexianum. This latter is named in compliment to Mons. D. Massange de 
Louvrex, Marche, Belgium, and is characterised by the pure white apical portion of the lip, which is rendered very 
conspicuous by the deep purple of the basal half. 
The healthy vigour exhibited by several plants in our collection is a sure sign that this species may be easily 
managed. We find them do best grown in baskets in a warm, moist atmosphere, at a temperature of from 70 deg. to 
80 deg. F. Taking into consideration the fact that in their native habitat, growing along the banks of rivers, they receive 
an abundance of moisture by means not only of the great evaporation which takes place, but also by the great rains and 
floods which occur at certain seasons of the year, the plants in our Orchid houses receive plenty of water during the 
time of growth—that is, in the spring. While in flower, water should be given sparingly, and when finished it would be 
beneficial to move the plants into a cooler house, where they may be allowed to rest for a month or two, so that they may 
ripen their growths for the coming season. 
Our plate was taken from a plant in the collection of C, J. Partington, Esq., Heaton House, Cheshunt. 
