ONCIDIUM VARICOSUM. 
[PLATE 192. | 
Native of Brazil. 
Epiphytal. Pseudobulbs ovate-oblong subtetragonal, ribbed, diphyllous. Leaves 
ligulate-lanceolate, with a bluntish point, keeled behind, of firm texture. Scape 
radical, stout, glaucous, three feet long, bearing a large panicle of numerous long- 
stalked distant flowers—often from eighty to ninety together. Flowers large, showy, 
the broad flat expanded lip clear bright yellow; sepals small, oblong-acute, incurved, 
the lateral ones cuneate and. bilobed, and as well as_ the equally small reflexed 
obovate petals pallid dingy green, banded with dull brown; lip large, clawed, sub- 
rotund, or transversely reniform, obsoletely four-lobed, nearly an inch and a-half 
across, with two ovate lateral ears which are somewhat crenate in front, the disk 
bearing a crest which consists of two triple teeth, one before the other, and which 
has a little ring of varicose veins placed on each side of it. Column short, with 
oblong finely notched whole-coloured wings. 
OncipIum varicosum, Lindley, Botanical Register, note under t. 1920; Id., 
Journal of the Horticultural Society of London, v., 143; Id., Folia Orchidacea, 
Oncidium No. 79; Id., Pazxton’s Flower Garden, i. 106; Reichenbach fil, oe 
Walpers’ Annales Botanices Systematice, vi., 738. 
“\ 
The Oncids form a very numerous family, many of the members of which bear 
remarkably showy flowers. The one of which we now treat is a very abundant 
blooming species, producing its branching graceful panicles of yellow flowers most 
freely, and these, when suspended from the roof, as we have seen them, have 
a splendid appearance especially if intermixed with other colours. There are several 
other species that are similar to this in habit and also in the flowers, and other 
desirable kinds which differ in the brightness of their colours. Our drawing was 
taken from a fine plant grown by Mr. R. Bullen, in the collection of the Botanic 
Gardens, Glasgow, where there is a fine range of glass houses. Mr. Bullen is known 
to be one of our best Orchid cultivators, and some years ago, before removing to 
Glasgow, he was the winner of some of the leading Orchid prizes: at our London 
shows. | 
Oncidium varicosum is an evergreen species, with ovate-oblong pseudobulbs and 
light green foliage. The flowers are -produced in panicles, and have a broad flat 
branching reniform lip of a bright golden yellow colour, and small sepals and petals 
of a pale green veined with brown. It blooms during autumn and winter, and 
lasts a considerable time in flower. The plant is a native of Brazil. 
