ONCIDIUM SPLENDIDUM. 
[PLaTeE 373.] 
Native of Mexive. 
Terrestrial. Pseudobulbs stout, somewhat orbicular, clustered, compressed, with 
obtuse edges, about three and a half inches high, when young enveloped by 
numerous laree membraneous bracts; monophyllus. Leaves a foot long or more, and 
about two and a half inches across, oblong, obtuse, channelled above, carinate 
behind, thick and fleshy in texture, deep green, more or less tinged with ferrugineous 
brown. Scape erect, springing from the side of the pseudobulb near the base, much 
branched in some examples, bearing a many-flowered raceme. lowers large and rich 
in colour; sepals and petals about equal, spreading, recurved at the tips, undulate, 
rich yellow, transversely banded with blotches of rich bright brown; lip large and 
flat, obreniform, clawed at the base, and notched at the tip, side lobes very small, 
the colour is rich deep yellow, the disc’ ornamented with two short raised lines 
and a long central ridge, which is continued on to the front of the anterior lobe. 
Column short, with spreading wings at the sides. 
OncipIum spLENDIDUM, A. Rich, Flore des Serres, t. 1825. Botanical Magazine, 
t. 5878 (as O. tigrinum splendidum). Williams, Orchid Grower's Manual, p. 501- 
502 (with woodcut). | 
Oncidium splendidwm ranks among the very finest of the yellow Oneids which 
have been introduced to cultivation, and for many years it was one of the very 
rarest, as but very few plants existed in Europe. The first plant that appeared in 
England was obtained by us when on a Continental journey, and it for a very 
long time remained the only plant in Britain, although after a time a few 
duplicates were obtained by division, and they realised exceedingly high prices. 
During, the past two or three years, however, several large importations have come 
to hand, and these having produced flowers in abundance, thus proving that the 
plant is true to name, and that it has now become established in our collections, 
and also reasonable in price, are two facts worthy of note by all growers of this 
order of plants. Amongst the numerous plants imported there have flowered many 
varieties, which differ considerably in the intensity of the colour in the blooms, a 
circumstance which always occurs in a batch of seedling plants, but we may = 
assert that we have not seen a single plant ourselves which could not comman 
the title of “very beautiful,” and well deserving the care and attention of ite 
Orchid grower. The blooms are very showy, they last long in full beauty, an 
Moreover, they are produced at just a season of the year (mid-winter) when flowers 
of a far less beautiful aspect are deservedly in great demand. 5 
The original plant to which we have already referred was a very fine and richly 
L 
