92 GENERAL REVIEW OF THE ORCHIDE.T:. 



Another interesting hybrid obtained from Dendrohium Wardianum and 

 D. crasitinode flowered in our houses shortly afterwards. It proved to 

 be identical with the D. inelanopldliahnum of Reichenbach, who recognised 

 tliat plant as a wild hyliri'l between the same pair of species. And 

 lastly, a hybrid raised by us from Amjuloa Clowesii fertilised with the 

 pollen of A. Ruckeri flowered contemporaneously with an imported 

 Angulua in the collection of Mr. R. H. ^Measures, of The "Woodlands, 

 Streatham, the two being absolutely identical. 



The existence of wild hybrids in five genera has thus been proved 

 by the raising artificially of identical forms from the same pairs of 

 species as those from which the supposed wild hybrids have been 

 derived. Of tliese five genera, Odontoglossum demands especial notice 

 on account of the extent in which hybridity is known to prevail among 

 the species inhabiting the Cordilleras of Colombia and Mexico, and to 

 a less extent, owing to wider dispersion, among those occurring on the 

 Andes of Peru. The Columbian species among which hybridity is most 

 prevalent are Odontoglossum crispum, Od. odorahmi, Od. luteo-purpureum, 

 Od. Lindleyamim, Od. Pescatorei and Od. fnicirq^hatis, most of them, 

 particularly the tliree first-named, remarkably polymorphous, so that even 

 where no traces of hybridity are discernible each species includes a 

 multiplicity of forms between the extremes of which a rather wide 

 difference exists. From these six species and their numerous varieties 

 have arisen at least five extensive groups of hybrids that may be 

 distinguished from each other and thus designated : crispo-odoratiim, 

 crispo-Lindleyanum, crisiooduteopurpureum, odoratoduteopurpureum and 

 triuinpliante-Pesc(dorei, including in each group also the reverse cross 

 which it is perfectly logical to assume has taken place. In these groups 

 but more especially in the first-named and somewhat hypothetically in 

 the others, we have not only hybrids from crosses between the species 

 and their varieties both ways, but also from crosses between the species 

 and the progenies and from the progenies inter sc, the result being 

 a gradation of forms differing so little from each other as to be 

 " confluent in series." * 



Another group of wild hybrids belonging to the allied genus Oncidium 

 lias originated on the Organ Mountains of Brazil, where several species 

 ccjmmoidy known in gardens as the crispum group are aggregated, 

 and which were at first regarded as species, but which after careful 

 examination and comparison have been conclusively shown to be hybrids.! 

 Among these are Oncidium ijectorale, Lindl. ; On. Gardneri, Lindl. ; 

 On. pnestans, Rcld). ; On. pnete.vtum, Morren ; and others whose parentage 

 can be satisfactorily traced. 



* Among Mexican Odontoglots several undoubted wild hybrids between Odontoglossum 

 iiuiculatum and Od. Ilossii have been imported with those species, and a few others of which 

 the last-named and Od. cordatum are the supposed parents. 



t Orchid Review, vol I. p. 298. 



