THE ORCHID REVIEW. 73 
ODONTOGLOSSUM CRISPUM. 
A QuEsTION has recently been raised by Mr. De Barri Crawshay, ‘‘ What 
constitutes a crispum?” (Gard. Chron., Nov. 21, p. 632). The question 
specially arose with respect to the O. crispum Golden Queen, from the 
collection of W. Thompson, Esq., Waltham Grange, Stone, Staff., to which 
an Award of Merit was given on Nov. 1oth last. Mr. Crawshay remarks 
~ that if all the plants that have been certified by the Royal Horticultural 
iety and other Societies the world over could be got together in bloom: 
the amount of variation seen would be startling, and if Bateman mistook 
and re-named Lindley’s species as O. Alexandra, what would he say now’ 
were the thousands of much-mixed forms presented to him? Perhaps if all 
who have a theory were to meet and settle the points that determine a 
crispum it would be possible to lay down a law whereby plants in future 
could be correctly named, and hybrids relegated to their nearest named 
forms. There are three so-called species which grow together, O. crispum, 
gloriosum, and Lindleyanum. ‘‘ Look over 1,000 in bloom at once out of 
one importation, and you will see a large majority of white or rose-tinted 
forms, these I believe to be crispum; you will also find a small percentage 
of gloriosum, and still possibly a smaller one of luteopurpureum. You will find . 
a small proportion of hybrids called O. x Andersonianum (crispum X 
gloriosum), and also possibly a still smaller number of hybrids called 
O. xX Wilckeanum. These three species and their resulting primary 
hybrids are the first links in a terribly long and confusing chain. O. 
luteopurpureum and gloriosum are easily known ; therefore why not 
crispum? The true crispum, I believe, is the spotless form that has a 
yellow disc to the lip, two yellow teeth at the base, and the two plates at 
the sides of its channel under the column only sufficiently raised from the 
surface so as to expose the ends of the nerves like tiny points. As soon as 
the yellow usurps more than the disc of the lip, and as soon as spots and 
marks appear, then I consider that there is evidence of hybridity. No one 
can tell the myriads of cross-fertilizations that have taken place. This has 
been proceeding till one can only fancy there is not a true crispum left.” 
Replying to this, Mr. Thompson’s gardener, Mr. Stevens, refers to 
botanical descriptions and figures of O. crispum, which include both yellow 
_ and spotted forms, which Mr. Crawshay would exclude. “If we accept 
his theory we shall have a difficulty in classing the yellow and spotted 
forms. I cannot help thinking that as long as a flower has the 
characteristics of O. crispum, as laid down by experts, we must accept it, not- 
withstanding the variation in colour. . . . It will be difficult to 
persuade growers of Odontoglossums that such varieties as 448 
Stevensii, Chestertoni, apiatum, Cooksoni, and the thousand-and-one fine 
