296 THE ORCHID REVIEW. [OcroBer, 1923. 
THE SEGMENTS OF ORCHID FLOWERS. 
(Continued from page 237.) 
Pee up our remarks on the labellum, it may be pointed out 
how the relative position of this organ and the column affords an 
important character in distinguishing several of the genera. The accom- 
panying figure of Odontoglossum cordatum clearly shows the manner in 
which the labellum is affixed to the column, only a comparatively thin, 
hinge-like structure connecting them. In the genera Lelia and Cattleya a 
similar condition may be seen, except that the side lobes of the lip generally 
s curl over the 
column and give 
the labelluma tube, 
or throat-like, for- 
mation. But in the 
genus Epidendrum 
the labellum is 
affixed to almost 
the whole length of 
the column, and on 
EPIDENDRUM PSEUDEPIDENDRUM adnateto the 
column. This cha- 
racter forms an easy means of recognising the genus. Jeverting to 
Odontoglossum cordatum, it was the cordate, or heart-shaped, form of the 
labellum that induced Lindley to so name this species in 1838. 
if in the genus Odontoglossum we examine the base of the labellum, 
that is the end nearest the column, it will be noticed that there is a con- 
siderable difference in the formation of the so-called crests of the various 
species. In O. cordatum this crest is not much in evidence, for it consists 
only of two erect lobes and in front of them two Gane teeth. In O. 
citrhosum these two teeth (Tt) are much more prominent, while in O. 
Harryanum and O. Hallii the crest (c) may be seen in its fullest state of 
development. In days gone by, when Odontoglossum crispum was im- 
ported in tens of thousands, much interest was displayed in flowering these 
plane for the first time under artificial cultivation, for occasionally a 
blotched variety of considerable value appeared. Although these blotched 
varieties were spoken of as crispums, a close examination of many of them 
showed that the crests differed from those of the true species, and on that 
account their hybrid origin was partially detected. , 
