120 



THE FLOWER GROWER'S GUIDE. 



ONCIDIUM. 



This is a very large genus numerically. We have not attempted to describe it in its 

 entirety, but from the large number of species named a very interesting and beautiful 

 collection of plants can be selected, and they may be said to be the cream of the genus. 

 The habit of the plants varies considerably, and as they are found growing naturally over 

 a very wide range of temperature, their culture differs also. They cannot, in fact, be 

 collectively treated, as will be seen by the temperatures given below, but much 

 may be learnt by studying the habit of the species. 



The small-growing species marked for the cool house, such as 0. concolor, 0. cucul- 

 latum, and 0. cheirophorum, may be grown in small pots or pans, as advised for 

 Odontoglossum crispum. Those of a more rambling habit, such as 0. Marshallianum, 

 0. crispum, 0. Forbesi, 0. curtum, and others of the same nature, like rather larger 

 receptacles, thriving well in baskets or on rafts close to the light in their respective 

 houses. 



The non-pseudo-bulbous kinds, such as 0. Cavendishianum, 0. Lanceanum, 0. 

 luridum, 0. hrematochilum, and others, thrive in a very rough open compost over 

 good drainage, and may be treated generally as pot plants. The best growers are in 

 the section which includes 0. incurvum, 0. ornithorhynchum, and 0. tigrinum, as 

 being of a tufted pseudo-bulbous habit. 0. Papilio and O. Kramerianum do well on 

 rough cork blocks with a little moss about the roots, and the singular 0. Jonesianum 

 may be somewhat similarly treated. 



Where not otherwise stated, the flowers of oncidiums are yellow, more or less 

 spotted with brown or red, this combination of colour occurring very frequently in the 

 genus. The sameness of colour is rather against them, but the blendings and contrasts 

 in the individual species are so beautiful and bright that one can easily overlook this. 



Representative Species. 



0. ampliatum. — Pseudo -bulbs large, almost round, 

 sometimes spotted with purple, producing vigorous 

 spikes of showy flowers. Central America, 

 1832 (*). 



0. anthrocrene. — A handsome and rare species, pro- 

 ducing arching spikes a yard in length. New 

 Grenada, 1875 (c). 



0. barbattjm. — Scapes many-flowered, the sepals and 

 petals twisted, and lip three-lobed with a large 

 crest. Brazil, 1819 (/). 



0. Batemaniaxnum. — Scapes 4 feet long, many 



flowered. Mexico, 1839 (c). 

 0. eicallosum. — A non-bulbous species, producing 



short spikes. Guatemala, 1837 (*). 

 0. bifolitjm. — Two-leaved pseudo-bulbs, and scapes 



about a foot high. Montevideo, 1812 (i). 

 0. Brunleesianum. — A very beautiful but rare 



species ; the flowers bright-yellow on the outer 



segments ; the front lobe of the lip deep maroon 



crimson. La Plata, 1879 (i). 



