6 THE ORCHID REVIEW. 
ONCIDIUM x WHEATLEYANUM. 
AT the meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society on November 13th last 
an inflorescence of this richly coloured and beautiful Oncidium was exhibited 
by F. Wheatley, Esq., Ringmore, Teignmouth, Devon, which received an 
Award of Merit. It was described over a year ago by the late Mr. Gower 
(Garden, 1893, ii. p. 227) as a new species, but I am convinced that it is 
another of those curious natural hybrids of which, until quite recently, so 
little was known. Its history is thus stated:—It was purchased with two 
or three imported specimens as Oncidium Gardneri, Lindl., which presum- 
ably might be one of the parents. I have, however, shown that there are 
good grounds for believing O. x Gardnerito be a natural hybrid between O. 
Forbesii and O. dasytyle (ORCHID REVIEW, i. pp. 301, 302). O. x Wheat- 
leyanum further differs from O. x Gardneri in having a high central keel to 
the crest, the margin of the lip and the column wings entirely red-purple, 
instead of being spotted, and the sepals and petals uniformly purple, all of 
which characters would be explained if O. crispum had replaced O. Forbesii 
as the second parent, and this I believe is precisely what has taken place. 
In shape it is very much like O. x Gardneri, as might be expected, with 
the differences above pointed out. The lip is clear yellow with the exception 
of the margin and base, the latter, with the crest, being deep blackish 
maroon, a colour evidently derived from O. dasytyle, as also in the case of 
O. x Gardneri. The contrast of colour is very rich and striking. At 
present the plant is unique—whether it will remain so remains to be proved, 
though it is far more likely than if it were a species—at all events, until 
hybridists take the matter in hand. R. A. ROLFe. 
BLETIA REFLEXA. 
A very interesting plant has re-appeared, after being lost sight of for 
something like sixty years. It is Bletia reflexa, Lindl. (Bot. Reg., xxi. 
t. 1760), a Mexican species which flowered in the establishment of Messrs. 
Loddiges, of Hackney, in November, 1834. It has now re-appeared in 
the collection of H. J. Elwes, Esq., Colesborne, Andoversford, Gloucester- 
shire. It is a little over a foot high, with the usual habit, and grass-like 
leaves about a third of an inch broad. The flowers are about one and a 
quarter inches long, the sepals and petals lanceolate, bright purple in their 
upper half, but veined with light green below. The lip is three-lobed, the 
front lobe and tip of the side ones being purple, while the rest of the side 
lobes is light green, closely veined with dusky brown. On the disc of the 
front lobe are situated five linear, acute, white keels. It isa very distinct 
species, and its re-appearance is very interesting. R. Av we 
