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XIII. A Note upon Oncidium Lanceanum ; a new species of 

 Orchideous Epiphyte, By John Lindley, Ph. D. F.R.S. &c. 

 &c. Assistant Secretary. 



In the year 1834 John Henry Lance, Esq. upon his return to 

 England from Surinam, where he had been residing several years, 

 brought with him a considerable collection of Orchideous Epi- 

 phytes, which he presented to the Society. Among other interesting 

 species was the subject of the following memorandum ; a plant, 

 than which a more acceptable addition to the hot-houses of this 

 country has rarely been made. 



The genus Oncidium already includes several very beautiful 

 species, in particular O. fiexuosum, bifolium, ampliatum and cris- 

 pum, but all these have flowers in which yellow or brown are the 

 only colours, they owe their beauty to the graceful arrangement of 

 their branches, and to the singular form of their petals, rather than 

 to their colour, and moreover their blossoms are destitute of fra- 

 grance. When, therefore, it was ascertained that among Mr. 

 Lance's plants there existed an Oncidium with violet-coloured 

 sweet-scented flowers, great interest was excited, and no pains were 

 spared to ensure its successful cultivation. Many plants were soon 

 distributed by Mr.L ance's orders, one of which blossomed in the 

 hot-house of the Messrs. Loddiges, and another shortly after in that 

 of the Society. The plant was found by no means difficult to 

 manage ; in point of beauty and fragrance it more than answered all 

 the expectations that had been entertained of it ; and it was, con- 

 sequently, selected as a proper subject for publication in these 

 Transactions. 



The roots are flexuose, slender, simple elongations of the base 



