June, 1915O 



THE ORCHID WORLD. 



209 



Odontoglossum cirrhosum. 



ODONTOGLOSSUM CIRRHOSUM. 



THERE are one or two very distinct 

 points about O. cirrhosum that render 

 it valuable for producinj^ attractive 

 h)'brids of the decorative class, and the 

 crosses that have appeared of late seem to 

 show more than ever how strongly fixed are 

 these specific characters. At first sight the 

 flower does not suggest anything very 

 promising, while the narrow nature of the 

 segments probably restrained breeders from 

 using it in preference to those of better 

 formation, such, for example, as O. crispum. 

 But now that several elegant hybrids have 

 been raised by its use breeders are firmly 

 convinced that it possesses more than one 

 distinctive feature, which, when carried 

 forward in the following generation, prove of 

 special attraction. 



The continual desire to produce flowers of 

 round shape, with their segments so broad 

 that they overlap, has, in the opinion of not a 

 few amateurs, been carried too far, the spike 

 having a congested nature and oftentimes too 

 heavy to produce an artistic effect. To 



obviate this undesirable character is l)y n<j 

 means difficult, for there is a general tendenc)- 

 among almost all hybrids to yield flowers of 

 a starry nature, but to produce them with 

 segments that can be descriljcd as graceful 

 and artistic requires the use of a parent 

 having these essential points, and such a plant 

 we have in O. cirrhosum. 



The outstanding features of cirrhosum arc 

 the much attenuated segments, the large area 

 of yellow colour on the base of the laVjellum, 

 and the remarkable power it has of producing 

 rich and darkly coloured spots and l)lotches. 



In O. Phcebe (cirrhosum x crispum) we have 

 a graceful hybrid, with the flowers somewhat 

 loosely arranged on the spike, yet sufficiently 

 fixed to render them steady, while the 

 attenuated segments give just that finishing- 

 touch to make them graceful. On the base 

 of the labellum there is an unusual amount of 

 yellow coloration, extending far beyond the 

 usual limits of the crest area ; in a few 

 examples nearly the whole of the labellum is 

 similarly coloured. * 



In O. truimphosum (triumphans x cirr- 

 hosum) the yellow colour of the former parent 

 is considerably improved by the influence of 

 cirrhosum, being of a brigliter nature, while 

 the central blotch on the labellum shows to 

 advantage. The sepals and petals are 

 blotched with dark chocolate-brown. 



O. Fletcherianum (Edwardii x cirrhosum) is 

 remarkable for the intensely dark pigment 

 seen in the majority of examples. In the 

 variety nigrescens, which obtained an Award 

 of Merit, R.H.S., the colour was almost black. 

 This peculiarity is not entirely due to the 

 Edwardii parent, for many other instances 

 have occurred in hybrids not containing this 

 species. 



Odontoglossum Gladys (cirrhosum x cnspo- 

 Harryanum) is another worthy hybrid, in 

 which the broad labellum of Harryanum 

 increases the size of the narrow lip of 

 cirrhosum, and, in fact, much improves the 

 prominent crest area. 



O. Beatrice (cirrhosum x Lambeauianum) 

 is the latest addition to the cirrhosum 

 hybrids, the first plant having just flowered 

 with the raisers, Messrs. J. and A. McBean, 



