A. YD THEIR MAXAGEMEXT. 403 



Oncidium. 



and moisture at all times. A native of Mexico and Guatemala, 

 1S36. (B. .M., t. 3912.) 



Yar. albifloniin has white flowers, with a yellow crest, and 

 does best when grown slightly warmer than the coloured variety. 



O. Papilio (LiiidL). — The Butterfly Orchid is very remarkable 

 in form, even for an Orchid, whilst in beauty it ranks among 

 the best. The pseudo-bulbs are roundish, compressed, wrinkled, 

 and so crowded as to overlap each other ; they are one-leaved, 

 each leaf being from 6in. to Sin. long, 2in. broad, leathery, and 

 deep oli^■e-green, mottled with reddish-brown. The flower-scape 

 is basal, from 2 ft. to 3ft. long, fle.xuose, jointed, flattened, 

 winged, with a sheath at the top, from which the flowers spring, 

 one at a time. The three sepals are all erect, 3in. long, narrow, 

 and purplish-coloured ; the two lateral petals are oblong, crisp- 

 edged, curved downwards, about 2in. long, bright yellow, with 

 bands and blotches of red ; the lip is stalked, with a roundish 

 blade, i Mn. across, \-ery wavy and crisped at the edge, yellow, 

 mottled or margined with bright cinnamon-brown ; the column 

 is short and winged. This plant is common in the \\'est Indies 

 and Venezuela, growing upon trees, and producing a very fine 

 effect when in flower. Under cultivation here it is almost always 

 in blossom, the same scape continuing to develop flowers tor 

 several years. It requires tropical treatment, with plenty of 

 moisture and sunlight all the year round, and thrives best when 

 grown in a basket. It should have a little sphagnum about its 

 roots during the growing season. Should the plants get weak, 

 it is a good plan to remove all the flower-spikes and encourage 

 new growth. This species is interesting on account of its ha^•ing 

 been the first Orchid to find much favour among horticulturists. 

 Trinidad, 1823. (Fig. 137; B- M., t. 2795.) 



A'ar. Eckliaudtii is remarkable for its large flowers, having a 

 lip coloured yellow, with an orange-red border. 



A'ar. Kramerianum. — A\'hen healthy, this fine plant has leaves 

 about I ft. long, by 4in. wide, beautifully mottled with cinnamon. 

 The flowers are large ; the sepals and petals are rich golden- 

 yellow, with reddish blotches : the lip is pale yellow, with a zone 

 of reddish spots near the margin. The scape is round, not flat 

 as in O. Papilio. Ecuador, 1854. 



O. Phaleenopsis {Rchb. /).— Though regarded as distinct 

 by Kew, this is scarcely distinguishable from the varieties of 

 O. Liicullatuiii {violaceum). 



O. Rogersii {Hort.). — A variety of O. varicosum. 



O. sarcodes {Lindl.).—K handsome-flowered, easily-grown 

 plant, very similar in habit to O. airtiiin. The pseudo-bulbs 



2 D 2 



