254 THE ORCHID REVIEW. [Nov.-Dec., 1917. 
In November following, a glorious example of O. Alexandre was shown 
by Messrs. Hugh Low & Co., of Clapton, and we read: ‘This new 
Odontoglot is one of Mr. Weit’s contributions from Santa Fé de Bogota, 
and as it is eminently beautiful, and sure to be a favourite, Mr. Bateman 
did not scruple to dedicate it to the illustrious Princess whose name it 
bears (see 1864, p. 1083). Messrs. Low’s traveller, Mr. Blunt, was, how- 
ever, at work in the same country, and a specimen of this plant sent home 
by him, being submitted to Professor Reichenbach, was considered by that 
botanist to be sufficiently distinct from Mr. Bateman’s O. Alexandre to 
merit another name. He, therefore, called his new Odontoglot O. Bluntii. 
Examples of both were shown in flower on Tuesday, and although O. 
Bluntii was much handsomer than that to which the name O. Alexandre 
was attached, it was the opinion of some persons present that the two were 
varieties of the same species (/.c., p. I109). This note elicited the history 
of the two plants, as follows :— 
OponToGcLossuM ALEXANDR#&.—In your report of the meeting of the 
Horticultural Society (p. 110g), it is stated that Mr. Blunt sent home a 
specimen of an Odontoglossum, which was considered by Prof. Reichen- 
bach to be distinct from O. Alexandre, and that examples of both were 
shown in flower at that meeting, the one called O. Bluntii being much the 
handsomer of the two. A flower of each of the two plants in question was 
sent to me by Mr. Bateman, and I beg to be allowed to state that specimens 
of both varieties were gathered by me before Mr. Blunt saw either of them; 
and, moreover, that the very specimen sent home by Mr. Blunt was given 
to him by me. The true history of the plant is as follows: While at 
Pacho, about the end of May last year, looking for O. crispum, I discovered 
this species, and returned to Bogota with plants and flowers in the month 
of June. There I met Mr. Blunt, who saw the flowers, and being much 
struck with their beauty, he asked me to give him some, which I did, 
taking them at random from the specimens I had dried. These flowers, 
sent home to his employers, were no doubt the origin of O. Bluntii. ] at 
the same time sent home plants and specimens, and wrote to the Royal 
Horticultural Society, giving a short description of the plant, and distinctly 
stating that it varied much in size, colouring, and form of the flowers, and 
especially that some were more crisp and much more spotted than others: 
In the month of July I returned to Pacho to collect more plants, and as Mr. 
Blunt was anxious to obtain some of the same kind, he accompanied me- 
We collected a large number of plants, many of them in flower, and varying 
= much and even more than the two varieties shown at South Kensingto™ 
I dried a number of spikes of the beautiful flowers, some of which I after- 
wards gave to Mr. Blunt, ea he did not dry any himself. However Wa 
) s of individual plants may be, I claim to be the sole 
