DECEMBER, 1913.] THE ORCHID REVIEW. 363 
five years ago Dr. Otto N. Witt wrote, from Berlin: ‘“ Odontoglossum 
grande is supposed to give negative results either way with all other 
Odontoglossums excepting O. Insleayi and O. Schlieperianum. Last year 
I determined to try for myself, and I fertilised two flowers of O. grande 
with pollen of O. crispum. Two pods were formed, which grew to a large 
size, but after about four months time both fell off in an unripe condition ” 
{O.R., xvi. p. 349). 
O. grande, Lindl., is the best known member of a small group of allied 
Central American species, the others being O. Insleayi, Lindl., O. 
Schlieperianum, Rchb. f., and O. Williamsianum, Rchb. f., and none of 
them, so far as we know, have yielded hybrids. Curiously enough, O. 
Insleayi was originally described by Lindley as Oncidium Insleayi, 
Barker, and as such was figured by Bateman, while of O. grande Lindley 
wrote: ‘Certainly this is a most extraordinary plant. Its habit is 
altogether that of Odontoglossum, with which its unguiculate lip and 
peculiar column also correspond ; but the tubercles at the base of the lip 
are those of Oncidium.” 
It is very difficult to separate Odontoglossum from Oncidium by 
‘absolute characters. When Lindley monographed the genus, in 1852, in 
‘his Folia Orchidacea, he remarked that it was chiefly distinguishable: by its 
column being long, and usually narrow at the base, or at all events not 
tumid there. He added, ‘‘and by the base of the lip being parallel with 
the face of the column,” but this does not always apply. Bentham also 
remarked : ‘‘ The genus is, upon the whole, a natural one, though some- 
times very difficult to separate from Oncidium, and occasionally thrown 
into confusion by the introduction of species which do not correspond to 
the generic character. Thus O. roseum, Lindl., is a Cochlioda, O. 
vexillarium, Rchb. f., has rather the characters of Miltonia, &c.” 
Odontoglossum contains several distinct sections, of which the O, grande 
group is one of the most distinct, but we think that no better place 
for it can be found. There are many genera which contain very distinct 
‘Sections. 
Speaking of hybrids reminds us that we saw the other day, in the 
collection of the Hon. N. C. Rothschild, Ashton Wold, Oundle, a capsule 
-of O. grande obtained by crossing with the pollen of Zygopetalum Mackayi. 
It was eleven months old and apparently perfectly healthy. The plant was 
throwing up a new flower-spike. It will be interesting to see whether the 
seeds are plump, and especially to see if seedlings are obtained. The 
‘Teverse cross was made at the same time, and Mr. Wright showed us some 
-of the seeds, which seemed plump and good. Some have already been 
‘sown, but we fear that it seedlings are obtained they may simply reproduce 
ithe Zygopetalum, as in other crosses between the two genera.—ED. 
