AA^D THEIR MANAGEMENT. 343 



Odontoglossum. 



closel}- allied, by the column being long and club-shaped 

 — or, at any rate, usualh' narrowed at the base — and by 

 the base of the lip being ahva_\-s parallel with the face of 

 the column, and sometimes joined to it, Lindle}' adds 

 that the lateral sepals are \-er)- rarely united. Odonto- 

 glossums are either epiph}-tal or terrestrial, with pseudo- 

 bulbs springing from a stout, creeping rhizome ; the leaves 

 are leather}- or thin ; the flowers are in few- or man\-- 

 flowered racemes or panicles, proceeding from the rhizome, 

 and are often very handsome. The species are nati\-es of 

 ^ilexico, Central America, Peru, and Colombia. The name 

 is deri\'ecl from odoiis, odoiitos, and glossa, and signifies 

 tooth-tongued — in allusion to the form of the labellum, 

 and to its bearing tooth-like projections, called " calli," 

 at the base. 



Odontoglossums being in man}- respects among the 

 most desirable of Orchids, we ha\-e included here the 

 majorit}- of the kinds known. Many of the species — 

 such, for instance, as O. crispnm — arc exceeding^ varied 

 in floral characters, and whilst some of the best-marked 

 forms i'Fig. 107) are considered b}- certain authors to be 

 distinct enough to rank as species, others class them as 

 varieties onl}-. A better knowledge of the species in 

 their native habitats has demonstrated the fact that 

 certain of them are now found growing together in some 

 localities that were at one time suppo.sed to grow 

 hundreds of miles apart. The fact of two or more species 

 being found growing together, and plants ha\-ing flowered 

 among importations of these, bearing the exact 

 intermediate characteristics of the species known to grow 

 in the same locality, leaves no doubt as to their being 

 of h\-brid origin. Although some of these ha\-e been 

 described as species they will be found in this work in 

 the list of Natural Hybrids. 



Culture. — As in the early da}-s of Orchid-culture in 

 this countr}' it was considered necessar}- to treat all exotic 

 Orchids as stove plants, it is not surprising that Odonto- 

 glossums failed for some time to become established 

 fn our collections. This, however, has been long since 

 changed, and now all, or very nearly all, known Odonto- 

 glos.sums are placed along with " cool Orchids." Some of 

 our leading growers have put many of the species to the 



