ZYGOPETALUM. 65 



many years. The date of its introduction does not appear to have 

 been recorded^ although it is highly probable that living plants 

 were sent home by Gardner^ who detected it on the Organ 

 Mountains in 1837. Lindley named and described the plant from 

 Gardner's specimens as Maxillaria xanthina, but afterwards separated 

 it from that genus^ founding upon it and other allied species a 

 new genuSj which he called Promenaea. Lindley believed this 

 plant to be the same species as that discovered in the early part 

 of the present century by Descourtilz on the coast-range of Minas 

 Geraes (Ilha Grande), and which he called Epidendrum Jonquille ; 

 if sOj the intrepid French traveller and explorer was the actual 

 discoverer of this interesting orchid. 



HYBRID ZYGOPETALUMS. 



Hybrids between species of Zygopetalum are still few in number, 

 and of those that have been raised, the vigorous-growing type 

 species Zygopetalum Mackayi, its variety crinitum and Z. maxiUare 

 have participated in the parentage of all of them. Of the four 

 hybrids described below, the first two are the results of crosses 

 effected between the two species mentioned by two different operators, 

 one using the original Z. Maclayi and the other its variety crinitum; 

 and as a natural consequence the two hybrids very closely resemble 

 each other. A fairly numerous progeny was obtained from both 

 crosses. 



The last two are of exceptional interest, for they are generic 

 crosses between Zygopetalum and Colax. In conformity with the 

 nomenclature adopted in this work for bigeneric hybrids they take 

 the name of Zygocolax.* In both cases the progeny was extremely 

 restricted. 



Zygopetalum Olayi. 



Z. Mackayi crinitum X Z. maxillare. 



Pseudo-bulbs and leaves intermediate. Flowers as large as those of 



the seed parent; sepals and petals brownish purple with a narrow green 



margin and sometimes with a few narrow transverse green streaks ; lip 



nearly as in the pollen parent, purplish blue with, darker lines; the 



* Thus Sophrocattleya, Part II. p. 92. Phaiocalauthe, Part VI. p. 17, 



