334 THE ORCHID REVIEW. [NovempEr, 1906, 
ODONTOGLOSSUM HARRYANUM. 
A CORRESPONDENT asks us to devote an article to the culture of Odonto- 
glossum Harryanum, a species which does not succeed well with him, and 
we may remark that others have experienced a similar difficulty. 
The secret is that it requires slightly warmer treatment than many of 
its allies, which is due to the fact that it grows at a rather lower elevation. 
Five years ago we cited (O.R. ix. p. 256) a note respecting a batch of 
plants which had been grown ona shelf ina glass potting-shed, with a 
higher temperature all the year round than that usually given to Odonto- 
glossums. They were said to be in a very healthy condition, full of vigour, 
and flowering wonderfully every year. They had not been potted for at 
least six years. We believe the locality was Trentham, where we had 
previously seen a batch of remarkably fine plants in a precisely similar 
situation. A year later M. Burberry remarked (O.R. x. p. 186) :—‘‘ The 
plants seem to grow best in the Intermediate house, in a compost consist- 
ing of equal parts of fibrous loam and lumpy peat, with an addition of 
chopped sphagnum moss, using the bracken rhizome for drainage. Press 
the compost moderately firm, and afford the plants moisture at the roots 
liberally at all seasons, for shrivelling of the pseudobulbs will soon occur if 
they are allowed to become dry.” 
Long before the habitat was known it was conjectured that the plant 
grew at a lower altitude and in a warmer climate than its allies, and after 
various houses had been tried we find the Cattleya house recommended as 
the most suitable. See cultural notes under Reichenbachia, ser. I. il. p- 1; 
t. 49, and Orchid Album, viii. t. 366. In the former work it is said that 
wild racemes grow toa yard high. It is said that the cultural conditions 
applicable to O. hastilabium are the most suitable for O. Harryanum, and 
we suspect that the case would be met by removing the plant into the 
Intermediate house for the winter. Some of our readers have now had 
considerable experience with this species, and we should be glad if they 
will give us the benefit of their experience. 
The species was described twenty years ago (Rchb. f. in Gard. Chron. 
1886, ii. p. 486), from materials furnished by Messrs. James Veitch & Sons, 
who first flowered it. The stock was purchased from Messrs. Fred 
Horsman & Co., of Colchester, who imported it, through M. Rodrigue4 
Pantocha. Shortly afterwards Messrs. Sander also obtained a supply of 
plants, and the species became fairly common in cultivation. The habitat 
was not recorded until about six years ago, when M. FI. Claes communi: 
cated the fact that it grows in the vicinity of Yarumal, in the Antioquia 
district. On looking this up on the map, we find that Yarumal is almost 
due north of Medellin, and that Santa Rosa is almost exactly intermediate 
