38 ONCIDIUM. 



this rare species. Both inflorescence and photograph are now in 

 the Herbarium at Kew. 



On. flexuosum. 



Rhizome ascending, stontish, clothed with imbricating pale brown scales 

 and emitting dense fascicles of white thread-like roots from below the 

 pseudo-bulbs which are produced at intervals of 1 — 2 inches. Pseudo- 

 bulbs oval-oblong, ^2~~^i inches long, compressed, mono-diphyllous. 

 Leaves linear- or lanceolate-oblong, acute, 4 — 7 or more inches long. 

 Scapes 24 — 36 niches long, usually dull purple, paniculate at the 

 extremity, the branches and their ramifications wiry, flexuose, and many 

 flowered. Flowers variable in size, f — 15 inches across vertically, bright 

 yellow with a red-broAvn blotch at the base of all the segments ; sepals 

 and petals minute, similar, obovate-oblong, the lateral sepals connate, 

 bifid at the apex; lip clawed, witli two basal auricles and a transversely 

 oblong, emarginate blade ; crest Ijipartite, the posterior half a downy 

 cushion, the anterior half usually 3—5 toothed. Column wings sub- 

 quadrate, bent forward. 



Oncidium flexuosimi, Sims in Bot. Mag. t. 2203 (1821). Lodd. Bot. Cab. No. 424. 

 Lindl. Gen. et Sp. Orch. p. 199. Id. Fol. Orch. Oncid. No. 81. Rchb. in Gard, 

 Chron. 1872, p. 358 (radiatum). 



A well-known bright-coloured Oncid that has been in cultivation 

 during the greater part of the present century, it having been 

 introduced from Brazil by Messrs. Loddiges about the year 1820. 

 The only localities we find for it are — the Organ Mountains where 

 it was gathered by Gardner, and Bahia where it was collected by 

 Blanchet. Oncidium flexuosum is easily distinguished by its creeping 

 rhizome, and the flexuose wiry branches of its inflorescence; it 

 is probably the most easily cultivated species in the genus. 



On. Forbesii. 



Pseudo-bulbs oblong, 2 — 3 inches long, compressed, mono-diphyllous. 

 Leaves oblong-ligulate, acute, sometimes mucronate, 6 — 10 or more inches 

 long. Scapes mottled with dull purple and green, 18 — 36 inches high, 

 panicled, rarely racemed. Flowers 2 — 2^ inches in diameter, all the 

 segments bright chestnut-brown with a narrow golden yellow border ; 

 upper sepal broadly oval, the lateral two narrowly oblong, connate to 

 one-third of their length and concealed by the lip ; petals clawed, sub 

 orbicular, with crisped margin ; lip broadly clawed with two, usually 

 bright yellow auricles at the base and a large fan-shaped, two-lobed 

 blade ; crest warty, five-lobed. Column wings roundish, purplish violet 

 spotted with red. 



Oncidium Forbesii, Hook. Bot. Mag. t. 3705 (1839). Lindl. Fol. Orch. Oncid. 



No. 60. Williams' Orch. Alb. III. t. 104. Kchb. in Gard. Chron. XI. (1879), 



p. 524, figs. 71 and 72. Undcnia IV. t. 164. 



