ONCIDIUM. 15 



Discovered by Warscewicz in 1849 — 50 on Chiriqui in Veragua, 

 growing on trees at 6^000 — 7,000 feet elevation. It is a very distinct 

 species, easily recognised by its large spatbaceous bracts. We 

 are indebted to tbe Royal Gardens at Kew for materials for 

 description. 



On. Brunleesianum. 



Pseudo-bulbs narrowly oblong, compressed, sligbtly attenuated upwards, 

 3 — 5 inches long, di-tripliyllous. Leaves ligulate-oblong, acute, longer 

 than the pseudo-bulbs. Peduncles 10 — 15 or more inches long, mottled 

 with dull crimson, paniculate along the distal half, the branches alternate 

 and distichous, 3 — 7 flowered. Flowers f inch in diameter ; sepals and 

 petals bent forwards, pale yellow, the petals with some faint red 

 transverse markings on the apical half, the dorsal sepal oblong, obtuse, 

 the lateral two connate into an ovate sub-acute body, bifid at the tip ; 

 petals narrowly oblong, acute ; lip sub-orbicular when spread out, three- 

 lobed, the side lobes incurved towards the column, bright yellow, the 

 intermediate lobe much smaller, reflexed, deep maroon-crimson, almost 

 black ; between the side lobes is a shallow lucid plate stained with 

 purple and Avith two erect white teeth near the middle. Column 

 terete, wings broad, roundish, anther hooded. 



Oncidium Brunleesianum, Rchb. in Otia. Bot. Hamb. p. 87, ex. Gard. Chron. 



XIX. (1883), p. 340. Gard. Chrou. I. s. 3 (1887), p. 672, with fig. Williams' Orch. 



Alb. V. t. 206. 



A singular Oncidium, remarkable for the form and colour of its 

 flowers, which are among the most distinct in the genus. It is an 

 anomalous form, the most obvious structural peculiarities of which 

 may be thus briefly summarised : — The sepals and petals are bent 

 forwards, but in this it agrees with Oncidium puhes, the nearest allied 

 species; the side lobes of the lip are turned inwards over the 

 column like those of a Cattleya, and the front lobe is reflexed and 

 richly coloured, as is often seen in that genus ; the crest is reduced 

 to a shallow plate with two small teeth; the usual protuberance 

 below the stigma is absent. 



The plant is as beautiful as it is curious. It was first intro- 

 duced in 1879 by Mr. J. Brunlees, of Victoria Street, Westminster, 

 who sent a portion of an inflorescence to the late Professor 

 Reichenbach without, it appears, giving any indication of its 

 origin. We transcribe from the Gardeners' Chronicle its subsequent 

 history. 



"In 1883 Mr. W. B. Lemon, of Moat Lodge, Beckenham, obtained 

 through an engineer of Rio de Janeiro, a small parcel of mixed orchids 



