210 THE ORCHID REVIEW. |SEPTEMBER, 1916. 
It is probable that a warm climate and comparative drought when the 
plants are at rest are essential to success. The former is well known, and 
as regards the latter it may be pointed out that those thick fleshy leaves are 
an adaptation for storing water during periods of drought, and they are not 
provided for nothing. Many other Orchids make such provision in the 
shape of pseudobulbs, but in this group the function is performed by the 
leaves, which latter seemed more susceptible to injury, in the shape of black 
spot, from too much water (O. splendidum, it may be added, has short 
bulbs also, and thus is exceptionally well provided for). The roots also 
perish from too much moisture in the compost when inactive, and all 
these points have to be guarded against when the plants are at rest. 
Oncidium Lanceanum is the handsomest of the series, and has always 
had the reputation of being a difficult subject. It has an interesting history. 
It was brought home by Mr. Lance on his return from Surinam in 1834, 
and plants that were presented to the Royal Horticultural Society were 
distributed, and on blooming in several collections raised considerable 
enthusiasm on account of the brilliant colour and fragrance of its flowers. 
It was named by Lindley in honour of its discoverer, who contributed a 
very interesting account about it. 
“The first specimen of this splendid epiphyte I discovered,” he 
remarked, ‘‘ was growing on the trunk of a large Tamarind tree in a noble 
avenue of these trees close to the Government House in Surinam. I after- 
wards found a great number of plants in different parts of the Colony. 
They were generally attached to the stems or branches of the Tamarind, the 
Sapodilla, or the Calabash trees, appearing to prefer those to any other ; 
however, on being tied to the branches of the Orange, the Soursop, the 
Mammee, or even the Brugmansia arborea, it grew well upon them all, and 
produced vigorous stems with upwards of twenty blossoms on each stem. 
The scent is extremely fragrant, and is retained after the flower is dried, 
only becoming fainter and more of a spicy odour than when fresh. The 
plant remains in full beauty ten or twelve days, a long period in that 
climate ; and I found that it always required a shady situation and a living 
stem to grow upon, without which it would not produce flowers in the 
highest perfection.” 
Just before Mr. Lance returned, Bateman had sent Mr. Colley to 
Demerara to collect Orchids, and Colley remarked that this plant afforded 
the only instance observed by him of the attention of either the settlers or 
natives being attracted by Orchids. In proceeding up the large river, he 
met with a man who had growing near his door a plant of this species, 
which, according to his account, had arrested his notice by its delightful 
