96 MILTONIA. 



after Miltouia that tlie two genera merge into each other in Miltonia 

 flavescens, which may^ with almost equal right, be referred to either. 



It will be convenient in this place to recapitulate briefly the 

 characters by which Miltonia is chiefly separated from the closely 

 related genera just mentioned — 



From Odontogiossimi. — By the short column, the wings of which are 

 ■\-ery narrow and usually entire. By tlie sessile labellum affixed to the base 

 of the column and spreading from it at a considerable (usually a right) 

 angle, the crest of which is either obsolete or reduced to a few short 

 raised lines. 



From Oncidium. — By the absence of tumidity in the column below 

 the stigma. By the sessile and almost entire labellum destitute of a 

 tuberculated or toothed crest. By the floral segments being nearly 

 always in one plane, in many of the species quite flat, the lateral 

 sepals being always free. 



From Brassia. — By the winged or auriculate column. By the broader 

 and shorter sepals and petals that are not elongated (except in Miltojiia 

 flavescens) into linear acuminate segments. 



In their vegetation the Miltonias conform to Odontoglossum, under 

 which the vegetative organs have been fully described. It should 

 be notedj however, that a deviation from the usual dark green that 

 prevails throughout Odontoglossum is observable in many of the 

 species of Miltonia. Thus — in Miltonia spectahUis and other Brazilian 

 species the pseudo-bulbs and foliage are of an ochreous yellow 

 tint, in M. Boezlii and other Colombian species they are of a pallid 

 hue, and in M. vexillaria they are glaucescent, characters which serve 

 as distinguishing marks of those species. 



The genus was founded by Dr. Lindley on Miltonia spectabilis 

 and dedicated to the late Earl Fitzwilliam (Viscount Milton), ''one 

 of the oldest and most zealous friends of Natural Science in this 

 country.'^ It includes fourteen species, two supposed natural hybrids 

 and one artificial hybrid raised in European gardens. 



Geographical Distribution. — The geographical distribution of the 

 Miltonias is somewhat peculiar and analogous in a restricted sense 

 to that of the Cattleyas, for they occur in two regions of South 

 America, separated from each other by an interval of upwards of 

 3,000 miles. One group of species is confined to a limited area 

 in southern Brazil in the immediate neighbourhood of Rio do Janeiro, 

 and another group is restricted to northern Ecuador and Colombia. 

 One [Miltonia Endresii) has its station in Costa Rica, and the. 



