ODONTOGLOSSUM. 537 



follow the nomenclature at present existing in gardens, and not to inter- 

 fere with the conflicting views held by certain authors. In so extensive 

 a genus it might be expected that some of the species would be of inferior 

 nierit'as regards their ornamental properties, and such is indeed the case ; 

 but all those here described are worthy of a place in every collection. 

 They are all of them evergreen, producing their flower scapes from the 

 base of the pseudobulbs, which in some of the species are stout and thick, 

 and in others are of small size, with small narrow foliage. They have 

 usually spreading flowers with the sepals and petals free, or the lateral 

 ones very shortly connate at the base, the claw of the lip, which is often 

 very short, being parallel with the exauriculate column, and the limb 

 spreading. The scapes are rarely short and few flowered, more frequently 

 paniculately branched, and the flowers are mostly of a shoviy character. 

 Upwards of a hundred species have been found in the South American 

 Andes, Mexico, and Central America, in fact they may be said to range 

 from N. latitude 20° in Mexico to S. latitude 15° in Bolivia, a distance 

 of about 2,000 miles, at various altitudes ranging from 5,000 to 

 12,000 feet elevation, and the major part of them have already made 

 their way into our Orchid collections. The demand for these plants has 

 become very great, and this is not to be wondered at, for they are a very 

 lovely class of flowers, and can be grown in a cool house at a less expense 

 than the more stately Brazilian and East Indian Orchids. In the form 

 of cut blooms and otherwise, they yield very much enjoyment to lady 

 cultivators. The flowers of many of them are exquisitely beautiful, and 

 they continue a long time in perfection. It is much to be regretted they 

 have been so difficult to import : large quantities of the plants collected 

 from their native habitats having died before they reached this country. 

 We have opened many boxes of these valuable plants, and have found 

 them all dead, and we have also had many arrive in excellent condition. 

 Of late years the methods of packing these plants have been much 

 improved upon, and now one can depend upon a lai-ger proportion 

 reaching this country in a living state. 



Cultm-e. — The Odonioglots require to be placed either in an inter- 

 mediate or cool house to grow them successfully. ^V'ith the exception of 

 0. Krameri, which thrives better with the Cattleijas, they succeed best in 

 a cool house, the temperature of which in autumn and winter ranges 

 from 45° to 55°. Some are best grown in baskets, while most of the 



