L1O THE ORCHID REVIEW. 
WHAT CONSTITUTES ODONTOGLOSSUM x WILCKEANUM? 
Mr. CRAwSHAY is anxious to have an exact diagnosis of the characters of 
Odontoglossum X Wilckeanum, which shall serve to distinguish every 
hybrid between O. crispum and O. luteopurpureum from its two parents; 
and he has initiated a discussion under the above title (Gard. Chron. Feb. 11, 
p- 82) which at all events contributes something to the literature of the 
question (see my reply, l.c., Feb. 25, p. 123, and Mr. Crawshay’s rejoinder, 
March 11, p. 157) though it deals with matters which were anticipated in 
the discussion respecting the so-called O. crispum Golden Queen which 
took place in these pages two years ago (O. R. v., pp. 73, I13, 143), which 
terminated with the remark :—“ It is quite possible that it is a form of the 
variable O. X Wilckeanum, in which the shape of O. crispum is nearly 
reproduced.’ The recent discussion seems to have been called forth by my 
note respecting O. X Wilckeanum flaveolum at p. 10 of the present volume, 
but need not be repeated except so far as it contributes anything to our 
knowledge of the subject. 
First it may be observed that the original name of this hybrid is O. X 
Denisoniz, though the fact that nearly all the records are under O. X 
Wilckeanum makes it rather difficult to use it in a discussion of this kind. 
Its extreme polymorphism has long been known, and was pointed out in 
detail by me six years ago (O.R.i., p. 205). It might be thought that the 
definition there given was wide enough to include ‘‘ Golden Queen,” and as 
a matter of fact when asked at the Drill Hall what it was, I at once replied 
“a form of Wilckeanum,” but on being told that it had been unanimously 
certified by the Orchid Committee as a crispum, and that the crest and 
shape were most like crispum, I remarked that it might be so, for we hardly 
knew the limit of variation in O. crispum. 
And this is where the chief difficulty lies, for it is quite certain that some 
forms which have been referred to O. crispum are really forms of Wilcke- 
anum, because they show certain characters which could only have been 
derived from luteopurpureum, but there are other less clearly marked forms 
whose origin cannot be told with any degree of certainty. Some of them 
may be either extreme variations or hybrids. It has been suggested that 
some of these forms are secondary hybrids, and in the Bogota district there 
is at least the possibility that such may occur. Theoretically we ™°Y say 
that Wilckeanum might be crossed back on to both its parents, and also 
combined with the species O. gloriosum and Lindleyanum, and with the 
hybrids O. X Andersonianum, x mulus, and xX Coradinei, all of which are 
found in the Bogota district. : 
In order that we may know what such secondary hybrids are like I 
would suggest that gtowers of Odontoglossums should attempt some of 
