202 



THE ORCHID WORLD. 



[August, 1916. 



WILSONARA INSIGNIS. 



IT is to the hybridist that we look for 

 novelties to maintain the keen interest 

 now being taken in Orchids ; without 

 some occasional surprise the meetings of the 

 R.H.S. and M.O.S. would soon lose much of 

 the attractiveness they now present to Orchid 

 enthusiasts in England, as well as indirectly 

 to horticulturists throughout the world. To 

 some amateurs the extended advance so far 

 achieved by hybridists is a source of bewilder- 

 ment, yet to others these results appear but 

 the foundation work of what is to come. 

 Compared with other plants the raising of 

 hybrid Orchids is always a tedious occupa- 

 tion, nevertheless, the individual who engages 

 himself in the task places so much confidence 

 in the ultimate success of his work that no 

 amount of patience and careful attention seem 

 too great to lavish upon the undertaking. 



When the first Odontioda made its appear- 

 ance in 1904, hybridists immediately took 

 advantage of the wide area for future work 

 created by mating the two genera Odonto- 

 glossum and Cochlioda ; and now, to the 

 satisfaction of one and all, Odontiodas are 

 almost as plentiful as they are beautiful. 



Odontoglossum and Oncidium were con- 

 nected by the raising of Odontocidium 

 Fowlerianum, which flowered in the autumn 

 of igi I, the parents being Od. cirrhosum and 

 On. Forbesii. About five others have since 

 been raised. 



Oncidioda Charlesworthii, the result of 

 crossing Cochlioda Noetzliana with Oncidium 

 incurvum, is noteworthy for being the first 

 hybrid between these two genera. It flowered 

 in August, igio, when the R.H.S. Scientific 

 Committee awarded the raisers, Messrs. 

 Charlesworth and Co., a Certificate of 

 Appreciation. 



The generic names Odontioda, Odonto- 

 cidium and Oncidioda denote in themselves 

 the respective elements which they contain. 

 Each being composed of two, and not more, 

 genera they are technically known as 

 bigeneric hybrids. In these three instances 

 the generic names of the parents are carried 

 forward in an abbreviated manner. But as 

 the work of the hybridist proceeds and more 



Oncidioda Charlesworthii. 



than two genera are united it would not be 

 possible to maintain this system unless 

 cumbersome names, such as Odontocidioda, 

 were constructed, and even longer and 

 more complicated appellations for hybrids 

 containing four genera. 



