THE ORCHID REVIEW. 69 
ONCIDIUM AUREUM. 
Under the title ‘‘ Un curieux synonyme” (Fourn. des Orch., v. p. 350), 
Prof. A. Cogniaux calls attention to the fact that Ornithidium bicolor, Lindl. 
(Rchb. f. in Walp. Ann., vi. p. 489), is a misprint for Odontoglossum 
bicolor, Lindl. This is a fact I have long known, and the error has been 
corrected in the Index Kewensis. But it brings us scarcely any nearer to a 
knowledge of the species, which is based upon a copy, by Matthews, of an 
original drawing of Ruiz and Pavon, made about the end of last century. 
Suspecting that this drawing must represent some well-known Peruvian 
plant, I some time ago investigated the matter, and was soon convinced 
that it is none other than Oncidium aureum, Lindl., whose history is thus 
carried back for a period of about forty years. The drawing is a little rude, 
perhaps, and slightly enlarged, but the habit of the plant and shape of the 
flowers are correct, as well as the toothed crest of the lip and the column 
wings, while the colour compares very favourably with many modern repre- 
sentations. Reichenbach came very near guessing the truth, for he wrote 
upon the sheet—“ Very near Oncidium aureum,” and I believe the identity 
is now fully established. We may now say that Oncidium aureum was 
originally discovered by Ruiz and Pavon, in Peru, towards the end of the 
eighteenth century, but was not described until 1838, when re-discovered by 
Matthews, on the high mountains near Andimarca. It appears to have been 
introduced to cultivation in 1853, in which year plants were sold at Stevens’ 
Rooms. Attention having been called to the subject, it seems desirable to 
place these facts on record, and thus clear up the matter. The following 
is the amended synonymy :— 
ONCIDIUM AUREUM, Lindl. Sert. Orch. (1838), sub t. 25. 
Odontoglossum mee Lindl., Bot. Reg., xxxi. (1845), Misc., p. 59; Id. in Benth, Pi. 
Hartw., p. 153 (in note). 
ar biciichedéiin and O. festatum. Rchb. f. and Warscew., in Bonplandia, ii. 
(1854), p 
Oraithidian bicolor, Rchb. f. in Walp, Ann., vi. p. 489 (non Lindl.). 
VANILLA GRIFFITHII. 
A note appeared last month (p. 34) respecting Vanilla tolypephora, a 
new species recently described by Mr. Ridley. I have just discovered that 
it is the V. Griffithii, Rchb. f. (Bonplandia, ii. p. 88), described as long ago 
as 1854, and as this name is quoted as a synonym of V. albida in the Flora 
of. British India (vi. p. gt), to which allusion is made, the species should 
have escaped the imposition of a new name. It is a rather common species 
and was collected by Wallich in 1822, and afterwards described and figured 
